Does anyone use/have experience in SQL Server?

[goldenticket]

I keep on seeing this referred to in job adverts but have no idea what it is/what it's used for. Can anyone give me any examples and is there anywhere I can learn about it online?

TIA

what about you

ah. I see. I did say I didn't understand it so the guys who sell us the units have sorted all that out then. Or something. I have no idea.

I have got my own website though. I am building it through Joomla. Do you know it?

i can't type, DH does an exaggerated impression of me using two fingers to type.
MIL used to laugh at the fact I couldn't type (she is a graduate of Mavis Beacon) but when she saw me she said "Oh you#re not that slow then" - I think she thought I would be searching the keyboard for each key :o

Do. CLI all the way for me, keeps us employed. This has been most diverting geekiness, am supposed tonne studying for an exam so thanks for distraction. Must also find a new job, good
Luck op.

No, never heard of it - as I said building websites (or applications) is my blind spot! I know the principles but don't get why iot has to be so complicated - architecture, security etc. I'm sure programmers get just as frustrated with me :)

CLI?? Common Language Interface or something?

what is your website for Hecate? (DOn't answer if you'd rather not say, just being nosey)

Ha ha mil also suggested Mavis to me!!

Command line interface i.e no stuck on front end!

My mistake SPB

Have checked back and adverts state SQL or MYSQL (also VB.Net - any ideas about that?). From my previous work, I'd be guessing that the jobs require the programming behind the front end IYKWIM, so I'm interested in whether I could make the leap or not.

Thanks again everyone.

tourism. I don't want to be accused of trying to advertise on mumsnet so I will pm you.

Vb = visual basic. I reckon you could make the leap no prob but may need to do a course, learn some principles of programming.

befuzzled, I was just about to come on and say but everyone has "something behind" afetr all I didn't write my own version of the .NET framework (though I know a guy who did) - but it seems you don't :o

VB.NET is a programming langiuage, runs on the .NET framework. The syntax is similar in soem ways to VB and VBA (I think....used to use C#) but that doesn't mean you can claim experience n it I'm afraid. Again, it is very very different.

Type thing but natural progression from what you did I'd say

befuzzled, VB.NET is fully OO, VB is getting there (I think, since v4) but when .NET came out wasn't. The style of programming and the things you can do are very different. For an interview they'd expect you to undertsand OO principles, rather than just syntax.

Only assembler code ha ha! I know what you mean, we just query the os directly via scripts, same deal as SQL really.

OP think the point is valid, these are specialist programming languages of varying types so you would need to learn or pick up on job but you would cope im sure, maybe an intro to programming course good place to start or SQL specifically? Tough market out there tho so not sure you should be going for these jobs straight off, might be something can move into once in doing what you did before.

I know nothing of .net or 4GL stuff at all! Interested to hear.

When we used to hire junior .NET programmers we'd want to see some programming experience - not necessarily .NET but a good couple of years of VB or C++, or possibly VBA if with a load of other stuff.

For a Senior Developer we wanted C# or VB.NET or Java with some evidence of learning .NET.

As well as this we tested SQL - selects, handling / anticipating nulls, aggregate functions with group bys, setting permissions etc

We also asked a question which I thought was really good (not mine, pinched it from someone else) - You've inherited a system, C# (or VB.NET) front end linking to a SQL Server database. You're putting data in the front end but it's not showing up int he db. Talk me through what you would do to troubleshoot that.

To add, in the test for both jobs we'd give them a problem to solve and expect them to write the code by hand, or pseudocode

Golden ticket - mysql is freeware. I taught myself through this site dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/tutorial.html.

After you've got yourself set up with the software etc there are two aspects to it. The first is learning the syntax. it is a command line program (as opposed to a graphical interface with menus etc). Devotees praise it's 'plain english' syntax, but in common with most programming languages, until you get used to it you'll have lots of frustration with getting the computer o understand you (rogue commas and the like).

the second is to do with being able to logically think through how to structure queries effectively. It can be quite fun, if you like puzzles. I've never used access, but I'd guess it throws up similar challenges.

VB is visual basic. It is the language which is used to write excel macros. Learn it as follows: make sure your excel installation includes developer modules. click 'record macro'. perform some procedure in the worksheet (eg type some text, cut and paste).Stop the macro. Click to edit the macro - and voila, you're in visual basic. tinker with the code, see what happens. Google if you get stuck, and you'll pick up more elegant ways of, for example, cell referencing, compared to what the 'record macro' will give you. It is a great labour saver for repetitive excel manipulations.

SQL Server also has a free edition - it is cut down but will be more like what they are expecting than MySQL.
(thoguh I am biased - could never get MySQL to install properly :o)
VB.NET is very different from VBA and quite differrent from VB. You need to understand OO principles - classes, objects, inheritence, interfaces.

Not my field of expertise but I'd hazard a guess at some sort of middleware issue? But dont know about syntax, and would give the usual flannel about importance of backing up tables bef messing around etc etc

Are you still working in field spb? How is job Market?

Sorry, what is a middleware issue?
Kind of. Moved away from programming (loved the logic but hated most of the OO stuff - I get 'class', 'object' and 'interface' and then I'm lost :o) and moved into more of a data management / analysis role. I love it but the job I'm in only uses Access and I can feel my SQL skills getting rustier by the day :( Problem is I'm not one who can self-motivate to keep doing pointless stuff, I need a real life problem and a sense of urgency before I'll devote any time to anything. So if I eventually go back to a SQL job I will be in the position of knowing it inside out - as of a few years ago.
Am looking to get into SPSS (as I am the lead statistician in my current job - ha!! what a joke) - but I am daunted a bit.

What's spss?

no idea what it stands for
Statistical stuff
(no real idea what it does - was involved in using it recently to apply some sort of variable reduction algorithm (can't remember what it was called) but I just sat there while someone else pressed the buttons. I get the principle but wouldn't know where to start! I bought myself what seems to be recommended as the SPSS bible, but as I have mentioned before I need a problem and some urgency before I can convince myself to work through something.