Voice of the DBA

Tag: Redgate

  • A Prompt AI Experiment

    Prompt AI released recently and I decided to try a few things with the tool that might help me in database work. I’ve had to do this task, but I had a customer recently ask me about this as well. They were wondering where they were short FKs.

    This post showed what I tried with Prompt AI.

    This is part of a series of experiments with AI systems. This is part of a series of posts on SQL Prompt. You can see all my posts on SQL Prompt under that tag.

     

    Help Me Query the Database

    In a recent post, I looked at the MSSQL agent in VS Code to query my database. I decided to try a few things with Prompt AI, working inline. First, I connected to the database and then I asked a question of the AI: who hit the most home runs.

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    From the time I shot the video, I had updated Prompt, and possibly the AI got smarter, because this was the result: I had a qood query.

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    I wanted more, so I asked for seasons. You can see the prompt at the bottom, but seasons were added.

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    Click Accept and then run it and I get the correct answer.

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    How nice would this be for some of the BI analysts to use this to get work done?

    Getting Help Fixing the Database

    In this db, there aren’t any FKs. I decided to (poorly) ask about this.

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    Note the misspelling. One of the amazing things is the AI recognizes little errors, just as a human would, and corrects them. I get an OK result, but not great.

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    I rewrite my prompt to ask which ones “should” have FKs. I get this:

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    Helpful, but I don’t want to work through this list.

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    I get this. No code, and I feel like I’m talking to a junior dev who is either trying to avoid work or doesn’t have the understanding that I want work done. I’ll try again.

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    I get something I can use. I wouldn’t likely create all these at once, I’d test things, I might start to add these as migration scripts I can deploy over time, after I’ve verified this isn’t going to break an app or cause issues. Or there aren’t already data issues.

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    Still, this is one  of those nice time savings for me writing a script to try and create these or working through time one by one. Now I can just set up tests.

    Or ask Prompt AI to help Winking smile

    Summary

    The new features in Prompt AI let you keep coding inline, but add some AI help to what you do. I’ve seen some neat things, and some frustrating ones, but overall, it’s helpful to produce code.

    If you haven’t tried SQL Prompt, download the eval and give it a try. I think you’ll find this is one of the best tools to increase your productivity writing SQL.

    Video Walkthrough

    This isn’t exactly what is above, because LLMs aren’t deterministic.

     

  • Join Other Database Pros Coming to the Netherlands

    In a few weeks I’ll be heading to Amsterdam for a few events. I’ll be working for a day before a short train ride down to Utrecht, a place I’ve never been and am looking forward to visiting.

    It’s a packed week with PASS On Tour, the Redgate Summit, and Data Saturday Holland. If you live in the EU, this is an easy way to learn a lot about different aspects of databases, see what others are working on or concerned about, and network with fellow professionals.

    Plus it’s in the Netherlands. I’ve never been to Utrecht, but my wife and I love Amsterdam. In fact, she’s meeting me there and we’ll likely spend a few days before taking a holiday.

    The PASS On Tour and Redgate Summits in New York were great. Lots of interesting talks, good conversations and questions, and some fantastic networking. Looking forward to the same in the Netherlands.

    Register today and join me for a short week of database discussions in October.

  • In Memory of Andrew Clarke, AKA Phil Factor

    One of the parts of getting older that really sucks is I seem to attend more funerals than weddings. It’s a sad fact of file, and this was one of the reasons Andy Warren and I created SQL Memorial, to keep those we’ve known close to our hearts.

    In a few internal posts, and a few external ones, I keep seeing this picture:

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    It’s one I took in 2016 with a selfie stick I’d gotten just before my trip to Redgate. There are a lot of familiar faces in here, but this was the content team at that time with myself, Grant, Tony (far right) and Andrew somehow in the center.

    This is a memorable picture and likely taken after lunch when Tony, Andrew, and I had visited a pub somewhere in the Cambridge area. I will treasure those memories of us sitting together, chatting about various work or non-work topics and enjoying a break from the office. Those chaps were some of the few that would have a pint at lunch, and I was pleased to be invited along.

    My most fond memory of Andrew was on one of the Redgate outings, where we’d taken the entire Marketing department out for a day. I happened to be in Cambridge and we visited a small printing museum in a little town, we had to draw a self portrait, and here’s my incredibly poor effort:

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    The thing that struck me from that day was how Andrew was quite the Renaissance man. He was interested in everything, how technology worked, including the old printing presses. He delved into how books used to be produced and could give me an education of some of the historical aspects of both how to bind a book as well as the history of some famous books from ancient times.

    Perhaps one of the more interesting things we discussed was life in the country. Andrew had a small farm where he raised some crops and animals. He had an old water wheel he was refurbishing that would either produce power to grind crops into flour, or it would be retrofitted to produce electricity. He explained to me how this horizontal wheel in the river would be placed to capture energy.

    Over the years we had many chances to discuss various topics. He even came to PASS a few times, one of which I captured below. That’s Andrew on the left.

     

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    Of course, there’s never enough time with friends. Andrew lived an amazing and long life, but it sadly ended before any of us who knew him expected it.

    I feel lucky that I had the moments and memories with Andrew that I did.

  • BBQ in Dallas (and a little database talk)

    Who wants to get some great BBQ in Dallas next month? Last time I was there, I went to Terry Black’s BBQ. It was amazing.

    bbq

    In just a couple of weeks the PASS Data Community Summit goes on Tour in Dallas, with 2 days of learning on Monday and Tuesday. The next day is the Redgate Software Summit, where we discuss lots of important and pertinent topics with myself, fellow advocates, and industry experts. We also have a separate track for Redgate software demos, tutorials, and presentations.

    Come join me at one or both events, and tell your co-workers. It will be a fun few days in Dallas. I don’t know if I’ll get to Terry Black’s, but I’ll be looking for some pit BBQ.