I am not sure why this thread ended up on the pgsql hackers list, but nobody took any measures from stopping it and instead a very interesting and detailed discussion of the pros and cons of surrogate keys in RDBMS schema design ensued. So this thread should be of interest to anyone using an RDBMS be it MySQL, PostGreSQL, SQLite or any other alternative.

This blog post should not be mistaken as an intivation to post to the hackers mailinglist as I think most points have been raised at this point. If you do feel you have something to add please make sure you have actually read through the thread and the therein linked blog posts. Just putting in this disclaimer so that I do not get my head chopped off for posting the thread link :-)

As a quick primer: WTF is a surrogate key?

A surrogate by definition is an artificial or …

I was wondering how people handled this situation themselves. I'm personally trying to decide whether my constants be in the class files, or a global configuration file. Right now I have a global.conf.php which contains things like:

 

<?php

define('MYSQLUSERNAME','mysqluser');

define('MYSQLUSERPASS','mysqlpass');

define('INCLUDE_PATH','/path/to/my/include/files') ;

define('CONTACTS_TABLE','sometablename');

So, my question is: Is it better to have one big configuration file, or should some things be defined on top of the individual classes ? (CONTACTS_TABLE.. is a clear example). I see pros and cons for both approaches.

…

On one of my databases, MySql is not using indexes when choosing a weighted-random row from a MySQL table.

For e.g. a query like this:

SELECT cid from category where [...] order by rand()*weight DESC LIMIT 1

is not using indices as shown by EXPLAIN statements. Obviously this overloads the server.

My question is that what can be done to select a weighted-random row from a MySQL table more efficiently? Has this been improved in MySQL5?

How can MySQL be forced to use indices for queries like this where we have weighted rand() function involved?

Any pointers are appreciated.

Frank

I sometimes wonder why people feel so compelled to use technical terms when talking about computers, even when they don't know what the terms mean. In my experience, those who know the least about a particular topic use the most complicated vocabulary when discussing it. I considered compiling a list of the popular ones, but since I'm lazy and have a blog, I decided to blog about it instead. :-) Feel free to add to the list.

For some reason, there are multiple terms used for a computer. What's wrong with computer? I guess it doesn't sound cool enough, but drives and processors do. For the record:

• Hard Drive != Computer
• CPU != Computer

I'm sure this list could go on, but those are the two I see misused all the time. To me, they're just important computer parts.

Another problem is when technical terms closely resemble other, more common words. For example, have you ever had someone …

So perhaps you have been reading my blog and saying to yourself ’self, why is Mike out there driving the sports cars and getting the hot women as a technical writer for MySQL AB while I am stuck in my dead-end job?’ If so, you obviously have not been paying close enough attention as I drive a Ford Tarus and only have one hot woman.

That said, if you know MySQL and fancy yourself to be a good writer, you may be interested in joining the MySQL AB documentation team. At the moment our team leader is looking for candidates, so send me an email with your resume and a writing sample and I can pass you on to my boss.

P.S. We’re looking for someone with a good knowledge of Java and .NET

I had to snicker at an article in Computerworld entitled Private Office or Cubicle: The Debate Goes On. Maybe the word "debate" is a little strong, yet it's still a controversial subject at many companies.

Except for a brief stint as a Project Manager, I've always shared my space with somebody. Mostly cube farms, but occasionally an office with another party. When I work at home, I seem to get more done. Is that because at home I concentrate on tasks that I can do remotely or because I don't have interruptions? I don't know. I do know I like poking my head over the partition and asking the person next to me a question.

Sure, there are times I'd like my own office; getting into a discussion of how Oracle or MySQL works, annual performance reviews, and interviewing. But for those few times I need an office, there …

This is the second time* I've mentioned the O'Reilly MySQL Stored Procedure Programming book on this blog. I'm mentioning it again because I suddenly realised that the release date of March 2006 isn't anywhere near as far away as I thought it was, when your in 2005 any date in 2006 seems like a bit of time away but on reflection and now being half way through the first month of the year it seems to be creeping up with even increasing speed.

With that in mind I placed my order with Amazon.co.uk today, it's avaliable on pre order and with a 30% discount on the cover price.

Click here to view the book on Amazon.co.uk

I have all 7 of Steven Feuerstein's Oracle books and as I said previously if it's half as good as those it will be a great book.

*I have no …

Hey all,

Cross posting some work-related stuff here, since I haven't quite decided whether I like movable type or not...

http://www.sap.info/goto/en/go/29707/

And while I'm at it...

What does the community want to see out of MaxDB in 2006? What are the main areas we should focus on this year? What would make your experience of using MaxDB better? Easier? More enjoyable?

I don't know how well trackbacks work, so you may feel free to email your suggestions to maxdb@mysql.com if they seem to be broken :)

The Call for Papers is open for OSCon 2006, so I thought I would throw a couple of sessions in and see if I can finally make it to Portland.

I’ll be submitting:

Documentation at MySQL AB

The Sakila Sample Database

I’ve managed to incorporate some of the feedback that has been sent my way regarding the schema of the upcoming Sakila sample database, so for your reading pleasure I am providing it to you.

It can be viewed and/or downloaded at /mike/download/sakila-schema-0.1.sql and I would love any feedback you can provide.

the schema, but it also gets in the way a lot when reviewing CREATE TABLE statements directly. I’d suggest you look at previous examples of the Sakila sample DB for context if you need it.

Hopefully I can finalize the schema soon and move on to perfecting the data and adding more views and stored procedures.

Special thanks to Giuseppe, …