Raw Data

Question

Raw Data

Christi Wilson

Ten Centuries

Points: 1030
More actions
April 3, 2012 at 5:24 pm

#258708

Hi! I hope everyone is doing well.
I have started my own company developing business applications for small businesses in my local area. I am currently in the process of creating a website for my portfolio, the problem I have is I don't have any raw data. My former company purchased data from Experian which would not be considered-privacy issues-, so I was wondering if there is any other company that sells raw data?
My applications that I am going to be presenting are database driven applications so data is necessary and I really would like to get away from Adventureworks. Plus I need to harden my skills at normalizing data. 🙂
I really don't have a preference in format, just raw data- around 500-1000+ records perhaps more depending on the type of data.
Thanks in advance for any and all recomendations!
Christi

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004414 More actions · Answer 1

Christi Wilson (4/3/2012)
Hi! I hope everyone is doing well.
I have started my own company developing business applications for small businesses in my local area. I am currently in the process of creating a website for my portfolio, the problem I have is I don't have any raw data. My former company purchased data from Experian which would not be considered-privacy issues-, so I was wondering if there is any other company that sells raw data?
My applications that I am going to be presenting are database driven applications so data is necessary and I really would like to get away from Adventureworks. Plus I need to harden my skills at normalizing data. 🙂
I really don't have a preference in format, just raw data- around 500-1000+ records perhaps more depending on the type of data.
Thanks in advance for any and all recomendations!
Christi

Perhaps this will get the creative juices flowing.

/**********************************************************************************************************************

Purpose:

Create a voluminous test table with various types of highly randomized data.

--Jeff Moden

**********************************************************************************************************************/

--===== Conditionally drop the test table to make reruns easier

IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.JBMTest','U') IS NOT NULL

DROP TABLE dbo.JBMTest

;

--===== Create and populate a 1,000,000 row test table.

-- "SomeID" has a range of 1 to 1,000,000 unique numbers

-- "SomeInt" has a range of 1 to 50,000 non-unique numbers

-- "SomeLetters2" has a range of "AA" to "ZZ" non-unique 2 character strings

-- "SomeMoney has a range of 0.00 to 100.00 non-unique numbers

-- "SomeDateTime" has a range of >=01/01/2000 and <01/01/2020 non-unique date/times

-- "SomeDate" has a range of >=01/01/2000 and <01/01/2020 non-unique "whole dates"

-- "SomeName" contains random characters at random lengths from 2 to 20 characters

SELECT TOP 1000000

SomeID = IDENTITY(INT,1,1),

SomeInt = ABS(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) % 50000 + 1,

SomeLetters2 = CHAR(ABS(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) % (ASCII('Z')-ASCII('A')+1) +ASCII('A'))

+ CHAR(ABS(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) % (ASCII('Z')-ASCII('A')+1) +ASCII('A')),

SomeMoney = CAST(RAND(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) * 100 AS DECIMAL(9,2)), --Note rounding

SomeDateTime = RAND(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) * DATEDIFF(dd,'2000','2020') + CAST('2000' AS DATETIME),

SomeDate = ABS (CHECKSUM(NEWID())) % DATEDIFF(dd,'2000','2020') + CAST('2000' AS DATETIME),

SomeName = RIGHT(NEWID(),ABS(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) % 19 + 2)

INTO dbo.JBMTest

FROM sys.all_columns ac1

CROSS JOIN sys.all_columns ac2

;

ALTER TABLE dbo.JBMTest

ADD CONSTRAINT PK_JBMTest PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (SomeID) WITH FILLFACTOR = 90

;

--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)

CapnHector SSCoach Points: 16143 More actions · Answer 2

if what jeff posted is not what you were looking for, here is the link to the microsoft download of the northwind and pubs sample databases.

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=23654

For faster help in answering any problems Please read How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help - Jeff Moden[/url] for the best way to ask your question.

For performance Issues see how we like them posted here: How to Post Performance Problems - Gail Shaw[/url]

Need to Split some strings? Jeff Moden's DelimitedSplit8K[/url]
Jeff Moden's Cross tab and Pivots Part 1[/url]
Jeff Moden's Cross tab and Pivots Part 2[/url]

Christi Wilson Ten Centuries Points: 1030 More actions · Answer 3

That is great Jeff, and yes it did get my creative juices flowing. I am probably going to still need data as I want to do some reporting, BI and data warehousing- the whole sha-bang (I dream big and I love what I do)

I might be able to scramble AventureWorks around, get some server logs and play around a bit.

I currently have 2 dedicated servers, one for SQL Server and one for the web-hosting plus Office365 and share point. It's been a fun project so far, just lacks interesting data 🙂

Thanks everyone and if anyone else has any ideas I never turn away data.

Eric M Russell SSC Guru Points: 125562 More actions · Answer 4

Google the following:

site:*gov data publications

For example:

http://www.census.gov

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

Christi Wilson Ten Centuries Points: 1030 More actions · Answer 5

Thank you Eric! My finance mentioned *.gov sties and I sort of put him off and he is now busting a gut on your post. Damn if I let him read this forum any more. And he doesn't know a lick about databases. 😛

I want thank everyone for your input. I am hoping to become more involved in the community as I believe this is the best forum I have been to.

Christi