Are the posted questions getting worse?

  • Jeff Moden (1/7/2011)


    SQLkiwi (1/6/2011)


    Jeff Moden (1/5/2011)


    Personally, I'd prefer a NULL to be returned instead of an error...

    Hmmm. That's an interesting question. I don't like the idea of NULL being overworked (yet again in SQL!) to represent 'attempt to divide by zero'. On balance, I think I prefer the error. You can't legitimately divide by zero, so it's a bug in my code, I would say. Otherwise, why stop there? What should LOG(x) return for x <= 0? NULL again?

    By the way, the following also does what you prefer:

    SET ANSI_WARNINGS, ARITHABORT OFF;

    SELECT 1/0, LOG(-0);

    SET ANSI_WARNINGS, ARITHABORT ON;

    I resist using NULLIF and COALESCE because they can introduce subtle bugs (incorrect results). It seems safer, to me, to expand them into CASE expressions explicitly. The query parser does that anyway.

    Paul

    Subtle bugs on NULLIF and COALESCE returning incorrect results? Maybe if you use operands that clash for datatype. Is that what you're referring to or is there some other bug? Also, 1/0 and other things like it produce undefined answers. How is that over working NULL?

    Ah... never mind. I see you've answered a similar question and I just hadn't gotten to it yet.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Steve Jones - SSC Editor (1/7/2011)


    I'm sure Jeff will like this: http://www.pcworld.com/article/215741/microsofts_hotmail_fail_a_bad_sign.html

    It's most likely a people/process failure more than SQL Server, but it does give ammunition to the idea that individual cloud customers might not get treated well.

    I was thinking the very same thing when I read that. It seems to beg the question of "How big is too big?"

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • I think it's more a question of how small is it until you get the "yes-it's-the-whole-fist-customer-service" treatment.

  • This (http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1043954-146-2.aspx), IMHO, is a great example of why it's good to have multiple articles or blogs on a topic. Elliot and I seem to be saying the same thing, but approaching it differently. As a result, we don't even understand each other.

    Presentation, with multiple voices, is good. Each slightly different style reaches different people.

  • On a more joyous note, I ran across this link on MSDN's Channel 9

    http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/

    Go ahead, go to it, input your year of birth, now it is not video, but HTML and runs a little slow.

    It can be exciting or sobering depending upon your year of birth, but it is a relief from the press of SQL problems, and sobering to learn what "new" technology was introduced in the year of your birth, and to reflect on where that "new" stuff has gone in the interim between your birth year and today.

    Have fun and enjoy it!

    If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

    Ron

    Please help us, help you -before posting a question please read[/url]
    Before posting a performance problem please read[/url]

  • Not feeling tip top today.

    I'll have to refrain from xmas tree burning fest and drink :ermm:

    :darn:

    Johan

    Learn to play, play to learn !

    Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
    but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

    - How to post Performance Problems
    - How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

    - How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

    press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

    Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

    Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

  • ALZDBA (1/8/2011)


    Not feeling tip top today.

    I'll have to refrain from xmas tree burning fest and drink :ermm:

    Too much jenever? 😉

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
    My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • Koen (da-zero) (1/9/2011)


    ALZDBA (1/8/2011)


    Not feeling tip top today.

    I'll have to refrain from xmas tree burning fest and drink :ermm:

    Too much jenever? 😉

    Aha, you know the drill :-D:w00t:

    Johan

    Learn to play, play to learn !

    Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
    but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

    - How to post Performance Problems
    - How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

    - How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

    press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

    Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

    Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

  • ALZDBA (1/9/2011)


    Koen (da-zero) (1/9/2011)


    ALZDBA (1/8/2011)


    Not feeling tip top today.

    I'll have to refrain from xmas tree burning fest and drink :ermm:

    Too much jenever? 😉

    Aha, you know the drill :-D:w00t:

    I certainly do 😀

    I still prefer jenever above gluhwein.

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
    My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • Indeed, warm wine is only good in the sauces grandma makes 😉

    With the many flavored gin these days, I prefer doing the gin menu :hehe:

    Mainly because I don't like beer when it's to cold.

    Johan

    Learn to play, play to learn !

    Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
    but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

    - How to post Performance Problems
    - How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

    - How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

    press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

    Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

    Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

  • bitbucket-25253 (1/8/2011)


    On a more joyous note, I ran across this link on MSDN's Channel 9

    http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/

    Go ahead, go to it, input your year of birth, now it is not video, but HTML and runs a little slow.

    I looked at it. I wish I hadn't. It irritated me by its very "USA is the centre of the world" orientation, it's giving greater priority to American pop culture than to the battles in Europe (the Eastern front isn't even mentioned), and its general boring pointlessness.

    Tom

  • ALZDBA (1/8/2011)


    Not feeling tip top today.

    I'll have to refrain from xmas tree burning fest and drink :ermm:

    :darn:

    ?? :ermm:

    Do you Americans work to 14th night instead of 12th ??

    Or is your Christmas tree being burnt two days too late? 😛

    Tom

  • Tom.Thomson (1/9/2011)


    It irritated me by its very "USA is the centre of the world" orientation, it's giving greater priority to American pop culture than to the battles in Europe (the Eastern front isn't even mentioned), and its general boring pointlessness.

    Europe? Is that some country down in South America? :hehe:

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • GilaMonster (1/9/2011)


    Tom.Thomson (1/9/2011)


    It irritated me by its very "USA is the centre of the world" orientation, it's giving greater priority to American pop culture than to the battles in Europe (the Eastern front isn't even mentioned), and its general boring pointlessness.

    Europe? Is that some country down in South America? :hehe:

    No, go a few thousand miles North and about 17000 (depending on how far North you went) West from SA. That may be the long way round, though. 😛

    edit: by SA I mean the one you mentioned, rather than the one where you are. Although the same directions might work from there too, if the initial Northward step was a bit longer.

    Tom

  • Tom.Thomson (1/9/2011)


    bitbucket-25253 (1/8/2011)


    On a more joyous note, I ran across this link on MSDN's Channel 9

    http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/

    Go ahead, go to it, input your year of birth, now it is not video, but HTML and runs a little slow.

    I looked at it. I wish I hadn't. It irritated me by its very "USA is the centre of the world" orientation, it's giving greater priority to American pop culture than to the battles in Europe (the Eastern front isn't even mentioned), and its general boring pointlessness.

    [Edited bad joke...]

    *goes back to whistling in the dark*

    On reflection, that was in horrible taste. So, now I'll just give you a bad joke instead.

    If the USA isn't the center of the world, why does it seem like a lot of people keep gravitating to it?


    - Craig Farrell

    Never stop learning, even if it hurts. Ego bruises are practically mandatory as you learn unless you've never risked enough to make a mistake.

    For better assistance in answering your questions[/url] | Forum Netiquette
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