Stairway to Data, Level 7: Data Encoding Schemes - Part I
Joe discusses how to deal with the kinds of encoding schemes, how to use them and how to design them. He discusses Enumeration, Measurement, Abbreviation and Algorithmic categories
Stairway to Data, Level 8: Data Encoding Schemes - Part II
Joe discusses Hierarchical, Vector and Concatenation encoding before rounding up with general guidelines for designing encoding schemes.
Stairway to Database Design Level 1: Data Elements
Before you start to think about your database schema or tables, you need to consider your data: the type of data it is, the scale you use for values. It needs to be unique, precise and unambiguous. Then you need to name it in such a way that it can be generally understood. Joe Celko explains...
Stairway to Database Design Level 2: Domains, Constraints and Defaults
A clear understanding of SQL Data Types and domains is a fundamental requirement for the Database Developer, but it is not elementary. If you select the most appropriate data type, it can sidestep a variety of errors. Furthermore, if you then define the data domains as exactly as possible via constraints, you can catch a variety of those problems that would otherwise bedevil the work of the application programmer.
Stairway to Database Design Level 3: Building Tables
There are several types of tables, each with their special requirements for rules and integrity constraints. Whatever the requirement, table-level constraints will ensure that the rules are enforced and data integrity is maintained.
Stairway to Database Design Level 4: Building a Schema
Having described tables, Joe Celko explains how to make them work together as a database and touches on what Entity Relationships and Views are.
Stairway to Database Design Level 5: Procedures
Joe Celko tackles the subject of the Stored Procedure and its place in database design. What he writes is food for thought, even for experienced database developers.
Stairway to Database Design Level 7: Triggers
In levels one to four, we built the tables, base and virtual, of a schema. Levels five and six dealt with stored procedures. This level deals with a feature you need to avoid as much as possible; this is article is on Triggers.
Stairway to Database Design Level 9: Normalization
In the final step of Database Design, Joe Celko gives a simple but effective explanation of the normalization process and why it is important.
Stairway to MDX - Level 1: Getting Started with MDX
To learn MDX, there is really no alternative to installing the system and trying out the statements, and experimenting. William Pearson, the well-known expert on MDX, kicks off a stairway series on this important topic by getting you running from a standing start.
Blogs
Advice I Like: Praise
By Steve Jones
Don’t reserve your kindest praise for a person until their eulogy. Tell them while...
How to Install SQL Server 2025 RC0 on an Azure VM
I wanted to try out the new JSON index which is for the moment...
Prepping for Certification, Part 1 of ?
By Brian Kelley
I thought it would be good to put my thoughts down on how to...
Forums
Learning a New Language
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Learning a New Language
is there a way to "detect" schema like changes on a server?
Hi, we have a few people who like to experiment on our prod sql...
Guidelines and Requirements
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Guidelines and Requirements
Question of the Day
Copying Production Schema
If I use DBCC CLONEDATABASE, can I remove some of the information from the copy?
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