Job specs asking for specific database experience

[VectraMan]

You just need "SELECT * FROM table"

It's all I've ever needed. Sort the data with assembler, and it's fast too.

[Weltchy]

I always like the gotcha's in Oracle. For instance,

How would you perform string manipulation on a long data type.

[VectraMan]

I always like the gotcha's in Oracle. For instance,

How would you perform string manipulation on a long data type.

See above, Re: do it in assembler.

[Weltchy]

See above, Re: do it in assembler.

[DimPrawn]

I always like the gotcha's in Oracle. For instance,

How would you perform string manipulation on a long data type.

I'd upgrade it to SQL Server 2008 and then take the rest of the six months contract off, as you don't need to spend time trying to work round a bitch of a product.

[Gros]

Thanks all, some really interesting responses there.

I think it's safe to say I can put on my CV that I have at least used oracle, but at least I understand now why it's fair enough if I lose out to someone with some proper PL/SQL experience.

Cheers.

[swamp]

PL/SQL is no biggie. It's basically TSQL (Sybase, SQL Server) but a bit better.

Problem is it was designed to be an almost fully-fledged programming language, which as a Java dev makes me cringe. The orange O'reilly book suggests you put your business logic in PL/SQL... Good luck unit testing that!

Oracle itself is just a database, and as a Java developer you shouldn't be expected to know too much about it's architecture. Though any decent Java/C# developer should be able to implement anything in SQL, and to be able to do so well.

[Spacecadet]

Though any decent Java/C# developer should be able to implement anything in SQL, and to be able to do so well.

Unfortunately many programmers think that SQL is a "piece of piss" and don't give it the time it requires.
Worst has to be the use of cursors when there is absolutely no need fo it.

I've lost count of how many times I've had to fix programmers attempts at SQL because they've made basic errors in their approach to the situation.

Worst I've seen was a migration script which was written by a C# programmer. It was taking over 12 hours to run.
Took me less than 15 minutes to rewrite it so it ran in a couple of minutes... they'd wasted weeks on it

[TheBigYinJames]

Worst I've seen was a migration script which was written by a C# programmer. It was taking over 12 hours to run.
Took me less than 15 minutes to rewrite it so it ran in a couple of minutes... they'd wasted weeks on it

claimed loads of overtime for

[DimPrawn]

Unfortunately many programmers think that SQL is a "piece of piss" and don't give it the time it requires.
Worst has to be the use of cursors when there is absolutely no need fo it.

I've lost count of how many times I've had to fix programmers attempts at SQL because they've made basic errors in their approach to the situation.

Worst I've seen was a migration script which was written by a C# programmer. It was taking over 12 hours to run.
Took me less than 15 minutes to rewrite it so it ran in a couple of minutes... they'd wasted weeks on it

What he said.

Being able to manipulate large amounts of data in a complex schema requires deep insight into set theory rather than procedural code, subtle differences between joins, subselects, correlated subqueries, and unions, as well as locks, optimiser hints, etc.