Database Forum? would we like one??

Hi all.

I've found the Ubuntu forums to be of amazing help to me in my college, work and general computing life.

I work with various products not just linux / ubuntu (eg MySQL and Java development, and occasionaly Windoze!)

I also frequent the forums on both MySQL and the Java site.

However I find the response on Ubuntu to be much more rapid, and often more helpful and less arrogant (particularly in the case of the MS forum, where the posters often just repeat the details in the various MS certification texts - which I have found don't always work!).

a typical response would be

just change your path variable and it will work

No hint as to how to change it, or if you have said that you have changed it you get a response of

you can't have done it right then

and no help as to how to do it correctly (eg via the command line) or other potential methods, or how to confirm if the path has been set correctly (such as the <echo $path> that we can use in linux). This is especially unhelpfull when you have followed the instructions in the book or on the web for doing it!

So I often search for answers to my SQL problems (most recently why my Java <connectJ> driver wasn't working / being found). And after posting on the MySQL site, I still have no response! and the same is true on the Java site!

However the Ubuntu community have given a response, and it worked!

So the reason for my question and the poll.

Would it be helpful if the forum had a place specifically for SQl and database related problem?

I would suggest it to be a sub forum of the main <Development and Programing> forum.

your thoughts and ideas, and please poll.

Dear Moderators.

If there is a better place for this poll please place it there, I did think about placing it in the <feedback and help> section, or even in the <dev and Programing>, but wasn't sure.

Please feel free to move it to either of these as appropiate

Thanks to everyone in the Ubuntu community for the help and assistance.

David

Edit.

I was going to give a vote.... but as I'm starting this idea I don't want to influence anyone (allthoug it is fairly obvious how I would vote :smile:

I think it is well suited to just be in the Programming Talk sub forum.

Then again that is me.

I think it is well suited to just be in the Programming Talk sub forum. ie we do not need another subforum..

Then again that is me.

EDIT: Sorry about the double post I didn't think it went through the first time

The Programming Forum would just be fine, IMO.

I'm with the above 2 posters, I think that for SQL queries (no pun intended), the Programming Talk sub-forum would be fine :)

Hi all,

It was just a thought,

I'm often not sure if I want to put my DBase queries in the proramming secion, eg maybe it is a "not sure of the best table schema" type question, whish isn't really a "programing" issue, more a design issue?

or a... my select query won't work...?? I may or may not be writing this into a program... but I guess it is programing in a way??

And you could always put in a vote....

theDaveTheRave said:

I'm often not sure if I want to put my DBase queries in the proramming secion, eg maybe it is a "not sure of the best table schema" type question, whish isn't really a "programing" issue, more a design issue?

I can understand that I guess. Though you could argue that technically, it could fall under programming because it's a logical issue, and a lot of programming is based around the logic of things. I would have no worries in putting something like that in Programming Talk. I know that there would likely be somebody around that forum that can help with it.

theDaveTheRave said:

or a... my select query won't work...?? I may or may not be writing this into a program... but I guess it is programing in a way??

This would definitely belong in Programming Talk, I'll admit while technically SQL isn't programming as such, it still belongs there.

I understand what you're saying, though the amount that a database forum such as you're requesting would be used, makes it not worthwhile in creating one.

Joeb454 said: technically SQL isn't programming as such

As concerns me, SQL is a programming language.

pp. said: As concerns me, SQL is a programming language.

I can argue both sides.

Technically, it's not programming *as such* (I think this partly due to the fact it's name is "Query Language"), though I can also understand people saying that it is a programming language.

I tend to just call it SQL and keep it separate from everything else. It saves me trouble :)

Joeb454 said:

I tend to just call it SQL and keep it separate from everything else. It saves me trouble

Always the diplomat.

Anyway, there has been a number of threads both on queries and DB design in the programming forum just recently, so there are precedents. All of those threads fetched a reasonable number of replies, too. Nobody seemed to think those threads misplaced.

pp. said: Always the diplomat.

Diplomatic Immunity is something to good to give up so easily ;)

Joeb and pp,

I understand where you are coming from on all sides with the

"is it or isn't it" a programing language.

I also agree that no-one seems to have an issue on the location of SQL stuff in the programing talk forum.

My thoughts were simply that, and the possibility that having an extra sub forum may make life easier for people who have specific problems they are searching an answer too.

eg: "iterate over an array", could mean different things in programing talk compared to DBase talk?

I'm not asking for a DBase sub forum per se, I was just starting the idea so as the admins etc would be able to gauge peoples oppinion, and maybe once the votes get to a certain level in favour (i notice that neither of you have voted... or are you taking my stance on that one.. "diplomatic immunity")... blah blah blah..

Also I have been writing a "help" section on MySQL specifically for my work colleagues and though that maybe I could publish it on this site also. If you think that this is a "nice thing for me to share" I would be more than happy, but I don't know where exactly I should place (other than help and tutorials) - perticularly as it is very much a "living" tutorial and expanding all the time..

thanks for the input guys,

David

theDaveTheRave said: eg: "iterate over an array", could mean different things in programing talk compared to DBase talk?

Please understand that I do not have any strong feelings in that matter, neither for nor against doing yet another forum. However, seeing the number of forums already present, the compass of every single forum and the kinds of topics already being discussed in the programming forum, I would think that the existing forum is quite well suited for that task.

"Iterating over an array" is quite a nice example. Some of the languages I have used so far do not readily recognize that concept: XSLT, Prolog, Logo (as far as I can remmember) and - of course - SQL. In some other languages you could argue that it was just a special case of applying some function to a number of elements. Yet they are all programming languages.

Still, I do not plead for creating different sub-fora for Algol-like, Assembly-like, predicate-oriented and other kinds of programming languages.

One forum to command them all.

pp. said: Please understand that I do not have any strong feelings in that matter, neither for nor against doing yet another forum. However, seeing the number of forums already present, the compass of every single forum and the kinds of topics already being discussed in the programming forum, I would think that the existing forum is quite well suited for that task.

This is pretty much my opinion on the matter as well actually :)

theDaveTheRave said: Joeb and pp,

I understand where you are coming from on all sides with the

"is it or isn't it" a programing language.

No one debating that. Just think it is suited for programming talk. I know I would find it hard to keep track of another subforum as well.

I often answer SQL quesions in there no issue.

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