Background Formatted SQL is does not run any better than unformatted SQL. The database really couldn’t care less whether you put your commas before or after each field name. For your sanity and to be an effective SQL writer I advise that you follow some formatting guidelines. In this post I will share how I…Continue readingFormatting SQL to increase productivity
No matter how many reports and cubes you build you are always going to have users who need large extracts of raw data in CSV format. Typically this data is used for analysis using tools such as Tableau, R and MS Excel. In my experience large data extracts are done by an individuals part of…Continue readingThe Most Efficient Way to do Large SQL Data Extracts From Your BI Tool
It could be just me but it seems to me the now accepted way of including charts in a web page is JavaScript.D3, Highchart, Raphaël and Chart.js to name a few. In situations where you don’t need interactivity afforded by JavaScript and for prototyping, using JavaScript is overkill. For ease of use and speed of…Continue readingCreating Charts via URL, no JavaScript
In my opinion “soft” skills such as the ability to listen are hardly ever mentioned as a success factor for data warehousing and BI projects. Part of the problem with BI is the broken telephone effect and to a lesser extent, the technical skills of the developers. Too much time is spent implementing the wrong…Continue readingListening to hear your clients
SELECT statement I have worked with numerous non IT professionals including medical doctors, accountants, actuaries and accademics who have had to extract the data they need using SQL from relational databases. I firmly believe that if you understand the objective or bigger picture of a language term, you will be a more effective user of…Continue readingSQL: Introduction to SELECT statement, analogy for beginners