Voice of the DBA

Category: Blog

  • Off to London

    Today I’m off across the Atlantic again. SQL in the City 2014 kicks off in London and I have 3 talks to give on Friday. Plus a keynote.

    Today is keynote practice, last minute packing, and then off to the airport for my flight overnight to London. This will be another quick trip, and although I think it would be good to spend a few days in Cambridge at the Red Gate offices, I’m so focused on SQL in the City, as well as this being my third trip this month, I didn’t think it made sense. I still have a week in Seattle coming, so this has been a tough time.

    I am a bit excited about the event. We have a new venue, and we’ve worked to fit a number of talks together in a sequence that I think can help get people moving forward in a Continuous Delivery software+database development process. I really think this is the way to build better software, and I want to see us jumpstart development on SSC in this manner in 2015, and hopefully get continuous work being done.

    I’ve also got a new talk based on the DBA Team articles, and I hope everyone likes it. I tried for a bit of humor, so we’ll see. If it does well, I’ll do it in Seattle. If not, I’ll be reworking things next week.

    Once again work blends into the weekend, though not by much. I’ll be heading back from the UK Saturday morning, so I’ll miss a half day in Denver, though it will be a long day in all for me. My flight will leave around 1am Denver time, so by the time we hit Saturday night, I’ll be a bit worn out.

  • Searching for a Laptop Bag

    I was in San Jose recently for the Silicon Valley Code Camp and when I picked up my backpack in the morning at the hotel, an edge caught on the desk and my zipper pulled loose. Not what you want to have happen when you’re transporting a laptop that you use for work.

    This has been a good backpack for me during the last couple of years, but as you can see below, it’s wearing out.

    Photo Oct 20, 5 27 30 PM

    The zipper pulls are fraying, the Velcro doesn’t stick as well, and now the zipper has issues. For a free bag, I can’t complain ,but I think it’s time to move on.

    Past Choices

    I’ve had more than a few bags in my life. Early bags came from vendors, and I’ve had no shortage of conference bags over the years. This was a good one, but I found the flap to be annoying to me, and I’ve sworn off messenger bags.

    Photo Oct 20, 4 07 22 PM

    I had a stage with my bad knee (and aching back), where I used roller bags. I had this great Targus for a lot of trips, and really enjoyed it. I could put in some clothes and plenty of gadget, and make this a single bag on short trips.

    Photo Oct 20, 4 07 38 PM

    However. I’ve also found that airlines have moved to smaller jets where possible, I often do have another carryon, and this doesn’t fit under a seat (often) or overhead (in smaller planes). As a result, I went searching for a smaller roller.

    My wife used to use this nice leather one, and I tried it for awhile. However it had a few issues.

    Photo Oct 20, 4 07 08 PM

    It also doesn’t fit under seats well (too wide), and it’s got a frame, so the size doesn’t change much. However the other issue is that it’s hard to maneuver with a second bag. It doesn’t stand up by itself, and the handle doesn’t easily fit over a luggage handle, so it’s a pain.

    The Search

    I started on Twitter, and got a lot of recommendations. Far too many were for messenger, shoulder style bags, which people seem to like, but I don’t. I also didn’t want a bare bones, super small backpack.

    My son has a nice, military style Maxpedition bag, but I don’t love the single sling. It’s a bit of a pain to get on/off without unclipping and don’t want to be doing that. However it is durable as can be.

    When I look at reviews, I see all kinds of different bags and features. There’s an amazing selection. That’s good and bad, but it certainly makes me think about what matters to me.

    One of the first companies that popped up for me was Everki. I’d never heard of them, but for some reason I clicked through and started browsing their backpack bags. At first I dismissed a few models that claimed they could store an 18” laptop as I’m never getting one of those. I’ve had a 17” model before and didn’t love it. As of now, I’m always searching for the smallest machine I can find that takes 16GB. Soon it will be 32GB, but I’m not ready for one of the W540-sized machines yet.

    As I looked, I watched a few of their videos, and I have to say that while I hadn’t considered the fold flat to be a feature (TSA doesn’t care in many places), I did like the fact that I often get stuff stuck down in the bottom of my bag now and have to search around. I also liked the hi contrast orange inside, because surprisingly often I can’t see inside my bag.

    versa_1

    I settled on the Versa for one main reason: the sunglass case. It’s also in the Concept, but I didn’t want to spend $300 (though for some reason $200 didn’t seem too bad). However I usually want sunglasses with me when I drive, and I’ve even found them on my head as I get to the TSA line and have to slip them into my bag, where they’re not well protected. Yes, I know I can take a glasses case, but I’d need 2 and I find those to be a pain. It’s not rational, but I’d rather have it built into the bag, a place I can drop stuff.

    versa_2

    I think this bag will be similar to lots of other bags that are in the price range and ta

    I’ve found with luggage that I get better bags (usually) for more money, and I’m hoping this will last me a few years. I spent $150 for a roller that I really like and think it was worth every penny. It’s lasted 4 years and still is going strong.

    I won’t get this before my trip this week because I waited too long to order it. However I’ll have time to pack it next Monday and see what I think, with the chance to order a different bag before I leave for PASS.

    I’ll update a review next week with first impressions.

  • Anatomy of a tSQLt test

    I’ve been doing some work on testing database code, and working with the tSQLt framework. I really like the framework more and more, and want to continue to use it. The whole idea of testing is a bit immature in database code, and perhaps software in general, but at least the software people are trying to move forward. At least in places.

    As I’ve been learning, and presenting on this, I’ve started to adopt and follow the simple pattern espoused by the tSQLt framework. It makes sense, and it provides what I think is a good format for unit test. The structure is:

    • Assemble
    • Act
    • Assert

    It’s simple, and it makes it easy to see how a test works.

    Assemble

    Declare variables and create tables you need. Insert data, initialize values and ensure that you have an expected environment on which to base your tests. I think this is especially important for database code tests.

    Act

    This is the place you call your code, or perform some action. Usually easy to do, but there are some thing that might be tough to set up.

    Assert

    This is where you assert, or declare something to be true. A value is equal to another. A result set looks like another. Something that you declare to be true, which could be some condition, like an error has occurred. If it’s true, the test passes. If not, it doesn’t.

    More to Learn

    There is lots more to learn, and I’m trying to do more. However I also need others to not only try to write tests, but evaluate how well they work and also publish some code. Explain to people what has worked, AND what hasn’t. Having that information out there, for a large variety of cases, will help others better test their code.

  • What will you see at SQL in the City

    London, Oct 24, 2014

    Seattle, Nov 3, 2014

    Come join us.