Are the posted questions getting worse?

  • Ed Wagner (1/19/2015)


    GilaMonster (1/19/2015)


    Well this is fun.

    Officially, according to the government, South Africa uses the , as the decimal point. In reality, everyone, including the government, uses the .

    Windows 7, when used with English (South Africa) had the decimal separator for numbers as .

    Windows 8, when used with English (South Africa) has the decimal separator for numbers as ,

    SQL Server uses the regional settings of the machine it's installed on. Hence when running on a Windows 8 machine that is set to South African regional settings, SSIS refuses to accept that '34.22' is a valid number.

    SQL Server doesn't care, SSIS throws a fit.

    And I have 30 grads doing a homework exercise that requires they import data from flat file into SQL Server (import/export wizard is the way everyone who searches google will find)

    It's gonna be a looooog week.

    The joys of working with different number formats. So, if they figure it out, would that be extra credit? ๐Ÿ˜‰ I wonder if using BULK INSERT with a format file would allow it through.

    This whole thing of number/time formats is wrong. We should all have settled to one format and forget the past.

    The metric/non metric system has already done enough harm, we didn't really need the regional options thing...

    Of course, everybody should be using the Italian format, รงa va sans dire... ๐Ÿ˜€

    When I was at primary school, I was taught that comma is the decimal separator and ' is the thousands separator.

    Windows insists using . as the thousands separator.

    When you type a number in calc.exe using the numeric pad you can use . as a decimal separator, but it will display as ,

    The same happens in Excel, but if you use the "other" dot in the keyboard (the one not in the numeric pad) what you enter is treated as a date, but the date separator in Italy is /

    This whole thing is totally f***ed up.

    -- Gianluca Sartori

  • Koen Verbeeck (1/19/2015)


    GilaMonster (1/19/2015)


    And I have 30 grads doing a homework exercise that requires they import data from flat file into SQL Server (import/export wizard is the way everyone who searches google will find)

    It's gonna be a looooog week.

    Let them do it like everyone does:

    import as text, convert in SQL Server.

    Yup. Let's see how many figure that one out.

    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 (1/19/2015)


    Koen Verbeeck (1/19/2015)


    GilaMonster (1/19/2015)


    And I have 30 grads doing a homework exercise that requires they import data from flat file into SQL Server (import/export wizard is the way everyone who searches google will find)

    It's gonna be a looooog week.

    Let them do it like everyone does:

    import as text, convert in SQL Server.

    Yup. Let's see how many figure that one out.

    It's no fun that way.

    Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
    _______________________________________________
    I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
    SQL RNNR
    Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
    Learn Extended Events

  • SQLRNNR (1/19/2015)


    GilaMonster (1/19/2015)


    Koen Verbeeck (1/19/2015)


    GilaMonster (1/19/2015)


    And I have 30 grads doing a homework exercise that requires they import data from flat file into SQL Server (import/export wizard is the way everyone who searches google will find)

    It's gonna be a looooog week.

    Let them do it like everyone does:

    import as text, convert in SQL Server.

    Yup. Let's see how many figure that one out.

    It's no fun that way.

    It's always fun that way. It might not be efficient, but it's fun.

  • Jack Corbett (1/19/2015)


    Jeff Moden (1/18/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (1/18/2015)


    WayneS (1/18/2015)


    I'm curious...

    How many folks have a home lab set up with servers?

    How many folks just use virtual machines on a computer (be it laptop, etc)?

    Other?

    If you feel like it, why did you choose that route?

    I for one do everything with VMs on my laptop.

    Everyone say it with me...

    AAAAAZZZZZZUUUUUURRRE!!!

    Maybe that's ok for some folks but that would constitute a huge NFW for me and the company I work for.

    Jeff,

    I think this question is about home labs versus doing things for work. Azure should be fine for a "home" lab setup.

    Understood but, if I'm not using it at work and no one I work with nor any of my clients use it, why would I use it at home?

    --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)

  • Jeff Moden (1/19/2015)


    Jack Corbett (1/19/2015)


    Jeff Moden (1/18/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (1/18/2015)


    WayneS (1/18/2015)


    I'm curious...

    How many folks have a home lab set up with servers?

    How many folks just use virtual machines on a computer (be it laptop, etc)?

    Other?

    If you feel like it, why did you choose that route?

    I for one do everything with VMs on my laptop.

    Everyone say it with me...

    AAAAAZZZZZZUUUUUURRRE!!!

    Maybe that's ok for some folks but that would constitute a huge NFW for me and the company I work for.

    Jeff,

    I think this question is about home labs versus doing things for work. Azure should be fine for a "home" lab setup.

    Understood but, if I'm not using it at work and no one I work with nor any of my clients use it, why would I use it at home?

    This is a good point but on the other side, would you feel comfortable advising your clients on it if you didn't have the experience?

    ๐Ÿ˜Ž

  • Jeff Moden (1/19/2015)


    Jack Corbett (1/19/2015)


    Jeff Moden (1/18/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (1/18/2015)


    WayneS (1/18/2015)


    I'm curious...

    How many folks have a home lab set up with servers?

    How many folks just use virtual machines on a computer (be it laptop, etc)?

    Other?

    If you feel like it, why did you choose that route?

    I for one do everything with VMs on my laptop.

    Everyone say it with me...

    AAAAAZZZZZZUUUUUURRRE!!!

    Maybe that's ok for some folks but that would constitute a huge NFW for me and the company I work for.

    Jeff,

    I think this question is about home labs versus doing things for work. Azure should be fine for a "home" lab setup.

    Understood but, if I'm not using it at work and no one I work with nor any of my clients use it, why would I use it at home?

    I'm not taking about Windows Azure SQL Databases, but spinning up a VM in Azure to work with a new feature of Windows/SQL/whatever. Or spinning up a whole domain to play with AG's or clustering. You can just use the templates and have a SQL Server up and running in 10-15 minutes.

  • Eirikur Eiriksson (1/19/2015)


    Jeff Moden (1/19/2015)


    Jack Corbett (1/19/2015)


    Jeff Moden (1/18/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (1/18/2015)


    WayneS (1/18/2015)


    I'm curious...

    How many folks have a home lab set up with servers?

    How many folks just use virtual machines on a computer (be it laptop, etc)?

    Other?

    If you feel like it, why did you choose that route?

    I for one do everything with VMs on my laptop.

    Everyone say it with me...

    AAAAAZZZZZZUUUUUURRRE!!!

    Maybe that's ok for some folks but that would constitute a huge NFW for me and the company I work for.

    Jeff,

    I think this question is about home labs versus doing things for work. Azure should be fine for a "home" lab setup.

    Understood but, if I'm not using it at work and no one I work with nor any of my clients use it, why would I use it at home?

    This is a good point but on the other side, would you feel comfortable advising your clients on it if you didn't have the experience?

    ๐Ÿ˜Ž

    If I had clients on it, then yes, I'd fire that puppy up so that I could advise and demonstrate to my clients why I think they should not be on it. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Sorry MS.

    --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)

  • Jack Corbett (1/19/2015)


    I'm not taking about Windows Azure SQL Databases, but spinning up a VM in Azure to work with a new feature of Windows/SQL/whatever. Or spinning up a whole domain to play with AG's or clustering. You can just use the templates and have a SQL Server up and running in 10-15 minutes.

    Would such a VM still be in the cloud?

    --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)

  • WayneS (1/18/2015)


    I'm curious...

    How many folks have a home lab set up with servers?

    I used to. I need to set one up again.

    How many folks just use virtual machines on a computer (be it laptop, etc)?

    Other?

    I need to learn how to set up VMs so I can get a new lab set up. I think someone (Gail, perhaps) mentioned VMWare on another thread. What is everyone using for VM software?

    I'm concerned with how much hard drive space I'm going to need for the setup and whether or not a USB drive can be used to assist me with this or not.

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • GilaMonster (1/19/2015)


    Well this is fun.

    Officially, according to the government, South Africa uses the , as the decimal point. In reality, everyone, including the government, uses the .

    Windows 7, when used with English (South Africa) had the decimal separator for numbers as .

    Windows 8, when used with English (South Africa) has the decimal separator for numbers as ,

    SQL Server uses the regional settings of the machine it's installed on. Hence when running on a Windows 8 machine that is set to South African regional settings, SSIS refuses to accept that '34.22' is a valid number.

    SQL Server doesn't care, SSIS throws a fit.

    And I have 30 grads doing a homework exercise that requires they import data from flat file into SQL Server (import/export wizard is the way everyone who searches google will find)

    It's gonna be a looooog week.

    OUCH. That is going to be so much fun. Are they even going to think about using Derived column tasks?

    And how would that work, I wonder. Oh, I feel like an experiment coming on as soon as I finish my website job status project.

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • GAH. Talk about a "drain bramage" kind of day. I knew the answer to this once, but my head just cannot seem to come up with the answer today. Can someone chime in and help me out?

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • We are finally starting to move our ERP to a new system (well new to us but still rather antiquated). In the process of looking at vendors our mainframe system doesn't really have the ability to handle international addresses. To get around these limitations our users are extremely creative in putting garbage into the system. During some analysis for data migration here is a gem that was uncovered.

    State = HO

    Zip = NDURA

    Zip Ext = S

    _______________________________________________________________

    Need help? Help us help you.

    Read the article at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for best practices on asking questions.

    Need to split a string? Try Jeff Modens splitter http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/.

    Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 1 โ€“ Converting Rows to Columns - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/63681/
    Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 2 - Dynamic Cross Tabs - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Crosstab/65048/
    Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 1) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69953/
    Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 2) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69954/

  • Sean Lange (1/20/2015)


    We are finally starting to move our ERP to a new system (well new to us but still rather antiquated). In the process of looking at vendors our mainframe system doesn't really have the ability to handle international addresses. To get around these limitations our users are extremely creative in putting garbage into the system. During some analysis for data migration here is a gem that was uncovered.

    State = HO

    Zip = NDURA

    Zip Ext = S

    Our users just put it in as the name.

    Had a client send data with an address of NANANANANA.

  • Sean Lange (1/20/2015)


    We are finally starting to move our ERP to a new system (well new to us but still rather antiquated). In the process of looking at vendors our mainframe system doesn't really have the ability to handle international addresses. To get around these limitations our users are extremely creative in putting garbage into the system. During some analysis for data migration here is a gem that was uncovered.

    State = HO

    Zip = NDURA

    Zip Ext = S

    I'm curious. What mainframe system?

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

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