Interviews: What is ACID?
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Comments posted to this topic are about the item Interviews: What is ACID?
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Heh... yeah but did you know how to get the current date and time? 😀
--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 had that exact same problem when I was mentoring a new DBA. I was explaining transactions, how the transaction log worked and why the ACID properties were important. And could I remember what the 'I' in ACID was an abbreviation for...
I recommend mentoring to everyone. If you can't explain the basics simply to someone new to the field, then there is a good chance that you don't fully understand it yourself.
Now, I have to go look up the exact definition of the Third Normal Form before someone hits me with it. -
Good suspense piece.
Did you get the job?
- Sean Redmond - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 12:22 AM
Now I only work part-time I am no longer involved in interviews apart from meeting those who have passed the preliminaries to see how they fir in with the team. Two years ago we were looking for someone with a knowledge web applications, UML, Python and SQL databases. I asked one person what First Normal Form was and got five minutes of utter waffle. Another felt that they had database knowledge as they had used Excel extensively! Neither got a second interview.
Another abbreviation that crops up is CRUD. I remember that in the nineties one developer kept using one of the alternatives where the latter letters referred to Alter and Purge. Fed up with this raising smiles in meetings the Technical Director banned its use.
I also pause before answering questions. In the same company mentioned above there was a meeting between senior sales and technical staff. One sales person commented on the delay and was told by the Technical Director "Michael gives the right answers whereas you always respond immediately without thinking!" -
Sometimes I'll ask myself what is ACID or try to go through the Normal Forms. If I can't, I review. If I were to ask this question in the interview, I would make a distinction between someone who can give a partially correct answer and someone who doesn't know what I'm talking about. At least the former shows that they've run across it. Someone who can answer the entire question would do better. I did once land a job that started with a chance encounter when someone asked me what Boyce-Codd normal form was and I quickly answered. So you never know when these things might come in handy. But if I were to be asked that question know, I wouldn't be so fast on the answer. So I probably should review the normal forms again....
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I was told a story about John Williams the guitar player being asked by a fan what his tips were for bridging. He had to pause for a while before answering that he couldn't remember any. In other words it was so hard wired into the way he played the guitar that he was not conscious of how he actually did it (other than brilliantly)
I have to admit to Googling the various normal forms. Normalising data structures and knowing why I am doing it is something I just do.
The descriptions on the internet answer, particularly of the higher normal forms, would not win an award for plain English. I think there is huge scope for improvement in the way these basic concepts are explained. The techniques and reasons behind the techniques remain relevant even if you are not using relational technology. -
Another abbreviation that crops up is CRUD. I remember that in the nineties one developer kept using one of the alternatives where the latter letters referred to Alter and Purge.
ok that's the best thing I've read for awhile 😀
- Jeff Moden - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 9:42 PM
- Dalkeith - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 1:27 AM
Got the offer. Declined the job. Not the money I was looking for, plus required some travel that I was unwilling to do at the time.
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Whatever you do - just don't ask jeff how to clear a table 🙂
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again? -
I have to admit to Googling the various normal forms. Normalising data structures and knowing why I am doing it is something I just do.
The descriptions on the internet answer, particularly of the higher normal forms, would not win an award for plain English. I think there is huge scope for improvement in the way these basic concepts are explained.Agreed. There is some inconsistency among the definitions as well. In my perfect life, I would take the time to sort these out to try to come up with an understandable list with examples.
- Matt Miller (4) - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 9:20 AM
Heh... surprised that anyone remembers that. 😉
--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 - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 8:53 AMJeff Moden - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 9:42 PM
I blew coffee out of my nose on that one! Thanks for the laugh!
--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 was just thinking I need to look for a watchface like that.
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