Voice of the DBA

Tag: syndicated

Creating an Empty Repo in GitHub–#SQLNewBlogger

I saw someone struggling with getting started with a Visual Studio project and Azure DevOps. They got a conflict, which I’ll show and then get you started with an empty repo.

Another post for me that is simple and hopefully serves as an example for people trying to get blogging as #SQLNewBloggers.

The Problem with Initialized Repos

I wrote about this recently with Azure DevOps and empty repos.. If I initialize a repo in GitHub, or any online provider, and try to push up a local repo, it returns an error that I have conflicts.

I’ve learned that when I want to start a new project, either I create the repo locally and then make an empty one online, or I create it online, clone it, and then start working.

I try to do the second (create online first), but I don’t always remember.

Creating an Empty Repo

In GitHub, if you go to your repositories page, you can see a “New” button on the right.

Click this and enter a name, as I’ve done below. BTW, I love the suggested name.

If you look at the image above, near the bottom, you can see my mouse pointer.

DO NOT check this box if you want an empty repo. Don’t add a .gitignore either. You’ll be adding code from your own project, which likely has a gitignore file and might have a repo. If not, just create a readme.md file in your local git repo.

Don’t add a license file either.

Pushing My Project

Now when you create this, you get the details of how to push your repository. If you have never used git, just open a command prompt and paste these lines in one by one and run them.

That’s it and now you can work and commit in either repo and deal with merges.

SQLNewBlogger

This post was easy for me, but I’ve been in the situation where I’ve made this mistake. In this case, I’d written the other post, so I knew what to do here. I spent another 10 minutes getting GitHub set, taking images, and writing this.

Easy to do, 2 posts from one idea, and showcasing knowledge on another platform. I could do another one with BitBucket or somewhere else, and maybe I will. I have customers that use other platforms.

Maybe you should do this and showcase your versatility to the next person that wants to interview you. If you want to work with software and Git, show them you know the basics. Or even more.

September 20, 2023
The Last Price Bump for the Data Community Summit

This week the cost of the PASS Data Community Summit jumps up to full price, on Sep 21. This is your last chance to save big, so get someone to approve you trip and register this week.

This the the largest and best conference for data professionals. You’ll have experts from all over the world and quite a few Microsoft developers attending. This is a great chance to network with them, learn, and ask questions that might save a support case or help you solve a problem.

Talk to your boss about the event and explain how this benefits your career and helps the company. Many people have found this invaluable over the years as they bring knowledge and contacts back to their organization.

Make a case, get approval, and get registered today and I’ll see you in Seattle this November.

September 18, 2023
Friday Flyway Tips–Commit and Push

Flyway Desktop includes version control features with Git. One thing that was added in v6.5+ was the ability to commit and push.

I’ve been working with Flyway Desktop for work more and more as we transition from older SSMS plugins to the standalone tool. This series looks at some tips I’ve gotten along the way.

All in One Press

This isn’t a big change, but it is one that customers have asked for. On the version control tab, when you have changes, they are listed with a commit button in the lower right.

We’ve added a drop down to this.

If you click this, you now have commit or commit and push options.

Pick the lower one, and you’ll get things committed and pushed up.

The choice isn’t saved, which I think isn’t a great design choice, but for now, you do have the option with each commit.

Try it out today. If you haven’t worked with Flyway Desktop, download it today. There is a free version that organizes migrations and paid versions with many more features.

Video Walkthrough

I made a quick video showing this as well. You can watch it below, or check out all the Flyway videos I’ve added:

https://youtu.be/QsWVcYxFdnM

September 15, 2023
A New Word: Justing

justing – n. the habit of telling yourself that just one tweak could solve all your problems – if only you had the right haircut, if only you found the right group of friends, if only you made a little more money, if only he noticed you, if only she loved you back, if only you could find more time, if only you were confident – which leaves you feeling perpetually on the cusp of a better life, hanging around the top of the slide waiting for one little push.

I find a lot of people that have justing, thinking their are quick, easy solutions just out of reach. Of they focus so much on the one thing they desire, ignoring the rest of life. Or at least diminishing it.

I try hard not to have justing. In fact, lots of comedians have helped me to view the world differently. I accept where things are, I know there is chaos and struggle and other difficulties. I have to just accept and account for them, not wish things were different. Instead, I view the world as imperfect and not always here for me but still a place to appreciate and enjoy.

I can’t always get to the gym or I don’t always eat as well as I should. I accept that and work with it, not wishing it were different. I accept my faults and frailties, and I try to nudge them in better directions, knowing they will always be there.

I remind clients of this at work. There is no perfect way to build software, and you will always have some issues. You’ll always have some staff insufficiently trained, you’ll always have some people you don’t like. Work with that imperfection and don’t think about justing.

From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

September 15, 2023