Mike McIver (1/9/2011)

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Really . . . another ridiculous article! I am responding to this reader's reply to illustrate the problem. Misinformation breeds misinformation . . . STR is deterministic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look it up in BOL!

As for the article itself . . . I say again "KNOW YOUR DATA TYPES"! Float and Real should automatically catch one's attention. All values may not be represented in certain formats, e.g. one third cannot be precisely represented in decimal format . . . then saying decimal is flawed does not make one insightful.

"Bad Rounding" . . . Just how is it the article's author knows something that an army of PhD scientists and mathematicians have not realized after well over a half century of computer development?! Moreover, he then judges not just SQL Server but by implication virtually all software products in the world as having flaws. Among others, Float/Real is addressed by:

- The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

- American National Standards Institute

- International Organization for Standardization

- International Electrotechnical Commission

Should we let them, electronics manufactures (INTEL & AMD), and all other software companies (ORACLE too) know they have "Bad rounding"? Finally, poor Sir Isaac Newton, the inventor of calculus, never realized he too had "bad rounding" . . . but he did say:

"But the errors are not in the art, but in the artificers. He that works with less accuracy is an imperfect mechanic; and if any could work with perfect accuracy, he would be the most perfect mechanic of all . . ."

From Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Author's Preface to the Reader, first published 5 July 1687.

The point that STR "MAY" be imprecise is valid. But, that being at the extreme margins, the article's tone and approach to the issue is presumptuous, and only serves to promote ignorance and misunderstanding.

Here' some advice, especially for the up and coming (it's free so you know what it's worth). This article demonstrates the "inside out view" problem. Making SQL Server or any other one software (or thing) your point of reference limits your potential. Instead develop an "outside in view". All the fundamental knowledge that went into in SQL Server was already discovered or invented. Take the time to do a small amount of "outside" research to develop breath and depth of knowledge. Do this every day . . . over time the effort pay$.