They already said that you only need to have US billing address to play...if you are from US , living in another country, you can play in the US servers.
So, I really doubt it. Only thing I'm worried about is that they require a CC to redeem the free month of gameplay when you sign up, or some other kind of address verification.
I'm from South America, and I'm buying the standard edition from US via a seller at eBay. He's also selling the timecards, and is going to mail me the keys needed to play the game ( I already have the beta client installed), so I dont have to pay ~40$ on Shipping and handling.
I remember the big competitions, every day, in a local arcade near work. I usually left work at 6, and player like for 2 hours. Not a big crowd, but at least 10/15 persons every day. Very fun. Didn't see that kind of group form around a game (unless you count DDR). It was fun, and everyone kept raising the bar. Usually from time to time someone from outside the group came in, adding some new tactics that got assimilated into the group:)
And what's wrong with that? All my data access is in a single place. The rest of the app access it thru that layer. Ok, the rest of the app is in procedures too, but it needs to because of the tech. Its an apache mod (mod-plsql) which works very nicely for DB frontends. Even then, you can code properly. I tend to do a mvc kind of thing with them, even using no oo features from the DB.
Well, you certainly know how to pitch the Oracle monolithic viewpoint on database architectures
Well, I worked as a tech presale some time ago and that shit ends up sticking to your brain eventually:)
I dont think performance is the main issue here..at least not the performance of the queries running. Precompiled queries and executions plans are not a big factor (in fact, at least in Oracle I think they are both re-parsed periodically to assure they are accounting for the updated table statistics, index cardinality and so forth). The idea of huges volumes of data going back and forth through the network just disgusts me:). It just seems more natural to do most of the slicing and dicing of the data in the DB server, that's usually optimized for this kind of work.
[1] have you ever written a cron job to run a query to dump a table to a file to be parsed by a Perl script to send an email? You might be an Oracle Portal user.
I'm an Oracle Portal user, and for that I'd create a DB job that runs a java sp that uses javamail apis:P
Some people might create a PLSQL proc that uses DBMS_SMTP to send the mail and run that from a DB job.
Sure, you can also create a cron job that runs a c++ prog that does some of that crap, but why bother?.
Dont put a perl coder to do DB work unless they know their stuff. Your solution is hackish at best, try RTFM:)
Oh, it wasn't you , it was me, I wasn't familiar witht the concept.
Why would anyone use Dynamic SQL instead of variable binds to replace parameters in a query is beyond me.
Well, I dont know if such thing exists outside Oracle.
2) Stored procedures aren't always the fastest because you can't do array inserts with stored procedures, for instance.
I can in oracle:)
Select blah
bulk collect into arrayblah
from table
and
for all i in arrayblah
insert into table x (blah) values arrayblah(i)
Both of them end up as array binds to the engine in Oracle.
With the rest I agree, specially with the one about using parameters for reused queries, otherwise they tend to kill the DB.
Nowadays I use Java/PHP code to process the data, instead of PL/SQL, since it is the middle tier that is the bottleneck, and not the fact that I m processing data on the middle tier instead of on the DB server.
Right....you add more work to the bottleneck. That will teach that middle tier to behave!
Most of the database developers I've seen can't write good procedures, let alone a normalized data schema. The think that it's easier to put data integrity in the app. The one that can write them well become DBAs.
Weird, I've seen the exact oposite, most DBAs (and I've met quite a lot) cannot write decent code/normalize if their life depends on it. They are good at messing with storage and such, but getting into SQL takes a huge effort from them:)
I'm a programmer, good with SQL and modeling, and I'd never become DBA.Who would want to get a midnight page from a server because it went down:)
Been there done that. I'm using Oracle for DB and CVS for source control, and its a pain in the ass. CVS/Subversion is for stuff that is naturally in a file, not for something that its on the database.
I'm still looking for a better match.... I use Oracle Designer on some stuff, and even if it does a great work as a case tool, it tends to create loads of different objects which are a pain to manage with cvs.
I've seen developers create stored procs which do a bunch of string concatenation within the SP, then EXEC the resulting string. This is just as injection prone as doing it in a script in the first place, but the developers in question often cite SQL injection as their one of their reasons for using SPs in the first place
Only if any part in the string is tainted (like deriving from user input). Otherwise dynamic SQL is pretty safe.
Otherwise I agree, I think pearl is pretty neat on this aspect.
I'm an Oracle DB guy (trying to dive into J2EE, better late than ever), and while I'd agree with your general point of view, I think you are missing something:
1. Centralized code. There are lots of ways to divide code up.
Sometimes is nice to assure that no matter what tools access your data model, only valid/complete information gets into it (usually this is the case with schemas that have existed in a company for some time). Sometimes there are different front ends to the same data, incoming interfaces, etc. They tend to grow on databases as time passes by:).
It also helps you reusing business logic in different technologies/applications.
2. Compiled SQL is faster. This is purely a performance enhancement. Performance enhancements [...]
Usually coding thru the stored procedures/triggers is a good way to have access to all the features in the database and programming languages, performance and productivity wise...some things are not available thru a interface to external engines and you need to be pretty close to the engine to get them. These things can make a huge difference.
3. Enhanced security. Depending on stored procedures as a key element of security is obviously not desirable.
Stored procedures are a very good idea if they are the only way to access the related data schema. Just be assured to deny direct write and/or read access to the tables.
[...]Should be free to change DB vendors from a security standpoint as well.
One thing that I've seen around and found quite appropriate:
When deciding whether to choose exploiting or not DB specific features, the DB cost is a factor. Why buy a brand name DB and not exploit the features it gives you? The cash you spend on it should be used for something, either performance/resource-wise, or easier development. Otherwise just use an el-cheapo engine like postgress or mysql.
I'm not sure its on by default, but Firefox can reject third party cookies (this is, cookies from sites outside of the domain of the page you are looking at). This means that a banner on a site or such crap cannot plunge you with a cookie or track you as you go from site to site. It can also block off-site images (to avoid webbugs), but that is a bit tougher, as it tends to break many sites.
You can use the adblock extension to block most of that crap too(just block http://*doubleclick* and you are done). No more banners, web bugs, flash or NOTHING from that site:)
Perhaps not about the OS, but it might be related to some tech in the DB...for instance, Partitioning in Oracle and Bitmap Indexes can do wonders for huge volumes of data.
Partitioning creates local indexes in partitions on certain fields (date ranges, type of records, whatever), which seriously reduces IO.
Bitmap indexes are used for low selectivity columns,creating a binary bitmap that can be easily AND or ORed, that might improve quite a bit the performance.
The cost based optimizer can also make big differences on the way the queries are parsed and resolved, it can also make very big difference in performance.
That's the kind of stuff that differenciates Oracle from other databases.
I use Outlook web access with no problem using Firefox, all the time. Sure, it doesn't use the active-x and it doesn't have all the bell and whistles, but all the functionality is pretty much there (Mail, calendar, etc).
Slashdot Mirror
They already said that you only need to have US billing address to play...if you are from US , living in another country, you can play in the US servers. So, I really doubt it. Only thing I'm worried about is that they require a CC to redeem the free month of gameplay when you sign up, or some other kind of address verification.
I'm from South America, and I'm buying the standard edition from US via a seller at eBay. He's also selling the timecards, and is going to mail me the keys needed to play the game ( I already have the beta client installed), so I dont have to pay ~40$ on Shipping and handling.
That post deserves at least +2 Funny :).
About the Dyslexic agnostic insomniac that stays up all night wondering is there's a dog.
I remember the big competitions, every day, in a local arcade near work. I usually left work at 6, and player like for 2 hours. Not a big crowd, but at least 10/15 persons every day. Very fun. Didn't see that kind of group form around a game (unless you count DDR). It was fun, and everyone kept raising the bar. Usually from time to time someone from outside the group came in, adding some new tactics that got assimilated into the group :)
Believe me, some people do :)
And what's wrong with that?
All my data access is in a single place. The rest of the app access it thru that layer.
Ok, the rest of the app is in procedures too, but it needs to because of the tech. Its an apache mod (mod-plsql) which works very nicely for DB frontends.
Even then, you can code properly. I tend to do a mvc kind of thing with them, even using no oo features from the DB.
That's a use for stored procedures...if you abstract the data access on procedures, the schema can evolve easier.
Well, you certainly know how to pitch the Oracle monolithic viewpoint on database architectures Well, I worked as a tech presale some time ago and that shit ends up sticking to your brain eventually :)
I dont think performance is the main issue here..at least not the performance of the queries running. Precompiled queries and executions plans are not a big factor (in fact, at least in Oracle I think they are both re-parsed periodically to assure they are accounting for the updated table statistics, index cardinality and so forth). The idea of huges volumes of data going back and forth through the network just disgusts me :). It just seems more natural to do most of the slicing and dicing of the data in the DB server, that's usually optimized for this kind of work.
[1] have you ever written a cron job to run a query to dump a table to a file to be parsed by a Perl script to send an email? You might be an Oracle Portal user. I'm an Oracle Portal user, and for that I'd create a DB job that runs a java sp that uses javamail apis :P
Some people might create a PLSQL proc that uses DBMS_SMTP to send the mail and run that from a DB job.
Sure, you can also create a cron job that runs a c++ prog that does some of that crap, but why bother?.
Dont put a perl coder to do DB work unless they know their stuff. Your solution is hackish at best, try RTFM :)
3. Try packages.
4. Most databases have a dictionary.
Like:That catches compilation errors. Runtime errors cannot be found, but you neither can you in Java.
7. Oracle has all that natively.
Oh, it wasn't you , it was me, I wasn't familiar witht the concept. Why would anyone use Dynamic SQL instead of variable binds to replace parameters in a query is beyond me. Well, I dont know if such thing exists outside Oracle.
Been there done that. I'm using Oracle for DB and CVS for source control, and its a pain in the ass. CVS/Subversion is for stuff that is naturally in a file, not for something that its on the database. I'm still looking for a better match.... I use Oracle Designer on some stuff, and even if it does a great work as a case tool, it tends to create loads of different objects which are a pain to manage with cvs.
Pearl being my coding sister :)
(Of course, I meant Perl)
I'm not sure its on by default, but Firefox can reject third party cookies (this is, cookies from sites outside of the domain of the page you are looking at). This means that a banner on a site or such crap cannot plunge you with a cookie or track you as you go from site to site. It can also block off-site images (to avoid webbugs), but that is a bit tougher, as it tends to break many sites. You can use the adblock extension to block most of that crap too(just block http://*doubleclick* and you are done). No more banners, web bugs, flash or NOTHING from that site :)
I woudn't agree with that...Mozilla is a different animal, in fact, it still exists. I think they said that at 1.0 Firefox would became Mozilla?
I think it was Phoenix->Firebird->Firefox
Perhaps not about the OS, but it might be related to some tech in the DB...for instance, Partitioning in Oracle and Bitmap Indexes can do wonders for huge volumes of data. Partitioning creates local indexes in partitions on certain fields (date ranges, type of records, whatever), which seriously reduces IO. Bitmap indexes are used for low selectivity columns,creating a binary bitmap that can be easily AND or ORed, that might improve quite a bit the performance. The cost based optimizer can also make big differences on the way the queries are parsed and resolved, it can also make very big difference in performance. That's the kind of stuff that differenciates Oracle from other databases.
I use Outlook web access with no problem using Firefox, all the time. Sure, it doesn't use the active-x and it doesn't have all the bell and whistles, but all the functionality is pretty much there (Mail, calendar, etc).