My Programming Tips

Here is a question I have been asked by many about.  Which application should I use to store data?  Then, people ask me what is the difference between the two.  My answer is twofold.  There are pros and cons to each application.  If the data you are trying to store is relatively simple, like contacts, price lists or inventory (stuff that has one table), I would suggest Excel since its much easier to use.  However, if you were to advance into a true database – tables of data that need to manipulated in viewed in different forms or if you just have lot of data entries, I would suggest using Microsoft Access do to its capabilities to handle large scale data storage.  It would be a hassle trying to look up 5,000 rows of data in Excel whereas in Access you can use queries to look up data you want (much like a search engine).  So overall, there are two sides to this but Excel is definitely easier to use than Access.

This is part one of our ongoing series: Wordpress 101.

Over the years, I have been using Wordpress and Blogger to make my weblogs and websites.  Between, the two I like Wordpress the most.  You may ask, why do I prefer Wordpress?  First of all, I like its user interface for administrators.  The most recent version (2.8) seperates Admin components into the following easily defined sections: Posts, Media, Links, Pages and Comments and then there are other non-content related and used less frequently are Appearance, Plugins, Users, Tools and Settings.  Now let me introduce you to the Posts section.  Within the Posts section, there are buttons for Edit (editing posts), Add New (creating posts), Post Tags (list of tags you used in your post) and Categories (list of catagories) once can use in Wordpress for your blog posts.  Within the page where I am writing a post for your right now include spaces to write excerpts, send trackbacks and add custom fields to store along with your posts.  Custom fields are useful if you want to add a way to track your posts that you don’t want users to see when they read your posts.  Anyway, good luck with your blogging and let me know if you have any questions.

A few days ago chatting with John Rossi on the complexity of the process is to optimize a MySQL database, improving the way in which consultations are conducted, and so on. You could say that the use of database is one of the aspects that most punishes our server.

Optimize
database is quite fun but difficult, the main problem is that you never know with complete accuracy whether what you are doing what is best, as an example if we put too rude, we can see that a query that runs across the base data without using indexes or anything like that is a “violation of resources” for the server if the fields are many, but if the use that is given is very little we will have no problem “apparent” and the consultation we return the correct data. Traverse a database of end to end could be one of the worst things you can do, however, if you do not apply a significant amount of work we will probably never problems falling or anything like that.

Well as you will see a proper optimization of database has its complications, but fortunately there are people who care for your help, and from his experience, we get hundreds of tips. I leave a list of tutorials for optimization that was collected some time ago.

* Top 1000 SQL Performance Tips: This list is the best thing I saw, probably because of its convenience and because it has divided the council for its implementation, I know this list by Armonth, says that even in a summary made Sense Web. Highly recommended.
* 10 SQL Tips: A PDF very interesting but I do not recommend it for people who are not very accustomed to working with SQL or just beginning, it can be very confusing if you have experience now is very good.
* SQL Procedures Performance: Hints and Tips: Short but interesting, give us some advice from IBM to improve the performance of our consultations.
* SQL Performance Tuning using Indexes: Good tutorial that teaches the proper use of indexes. While not exclusively focused on the optimization, tells us very well and should do certain things.

Needless to say, I always have at hand some things, like the official site of MySQL can also serve to keep the steak MySQL and if they can download the book on MySQL I recommended some time ago. If anyone knows or has links to hand a book to recommend, it will be very grateful.

Today hardly find a site that does not use database, the vast majority is used by MySQL be robust, reliable and free. However, some time had commented on several tips for optimizing MySQL, and now thanks to Delicius a very good meeting with several quick tips for designing the database, which gives us some quick references on special related to the type of data that can be very useful.

The database design is not something we take lightly, and is far from simple, the main problem is that often the database will respond as we want but not using the minimum resources and indispensable. Most of the problems of performance of a website is due to poor data structures, using incorrect data types that end up “punishing” the server unnecessarily, as well as consultations badly designed.

In my case all land use this type of content is essential if we want to create applications that can easily scale and have good response rates when the popularity of a project to grow. After reading things like this presentation, I realize how much I was to learn, but fortunately there are people who give this knowledge. So, enjoy a presentation of the top 20 design tips for MySQL Enterprise data architects

In this article, I would like to share with you 20 Tips which can really help you to be a better programmer.

1. Study, study and study

The study allows us to perfect, but we look the more opportunities we will have to schedule better, I am speaking not only of universities, nor of course, at present, thanks to the Internet there are plenty of tutorials and manuals, not least the official site for PHP is really very good.

2. Search before you ask

This is a common evil that wants to learn to program, it’s easier to ask someone who knows, but it really does not have to be so for several reasons, first because it is something very vague, then that when someone gives us the answer easy not learn anything, what’s interesting when we are presented with a problem is to find the solution ourselves, but we just there to answer questions, this exercise is really benefit us to prepare our minds to solve future problems.

3. Find scripts already developed

Usually you can find many features, scripts ready for use, but it is interesting to study them, see how they work, so we learn if we copy and paste wrong.

4. Read the free video

I often download some applications are programmed to see, really learn much, as we do this every time we practice to learn more, especially if these applications are popular in which thousands of programmers around the world “get” hand to improve it. A good example of this is Wordpress.

5. Do not copy and paste

It’s easy, go to google looking for a role that can and what we need done. But the reality is not always what you downloaded is correct, and if we then have to solve a problem is most likely not have a clue where to start. Forget about learning factor zero implies that this practice.

6. Find the time to schedule

They sat in front of your computer, phone, your co-worker or family member asks you something, it really is the most annoying and uncomfortable that it is hard to concentrate, it is preferable to do something more “Light” before scheduling something wrong and then have to fix it.

7. Be your own Wiki

We recommend a lot, it’s easy to install a Wiki on our PC, we can just download the EasyPhp and take our order a functional server, and even better if you want to install “by hand”. The wiki is interesting to store frequently used routines, in my case save validations soil, etc.. Once we learned to do something and we have the best possible hand is interesting to not have to waste time writing the same thing over and over again.

8. Says whatever is necessary

Write comments in the code tends to be quite annoying and seems unnecessary, but comment on the important things we can save much time when we have to tweak the code months later.

9. Participate in forums / communities

It is interesting to interact with others who are in our same tune, often help us again and we can help. Online communities generally have very good vibes, and mutual aid which is abundant, a few lines of code can be useful for many people, so that everyone can improve. Remember to respect the 2.

10. Talk to other programmers

Instant messaging, in a cafe, phone, etc.. It is interesting to have friends who are in the same, not only by the issue of mutual assistance, these groups often also help “emotional” from the developer, some jokes, a comment may be an injection of energy to continue with a problem we can not solve.

11. Free time for other things

I love to program, but that understanding is not the only thing in life, sometimes it is a good start, a movie, you really need unplugged.

12. Set up your bunker

Having a work space according to your taste is essential to set a good chair that does not damage our column, a nice desktop that allows us to spread CDS, books, etc.. We must also be organized, but always to our liking, it’s good to be your target area and that no one hand, one in the long run it ends up feeling like a refuge.

13. Your team in a position

Another important point, a good computer, not having problems, if necessary a little more RAM, you do not need to schedule a supermáquina PHP but if this is not something that hanging every 2 sec.

14. Use free tools

If you can not pay for certain tools you actually spend on or download pirated versions, PHP does not need a lot and really not worth being rigged programs.

15. Organize your own library of scripts

Related to Item 7. The wiki is very good, but we must have organized, but find something you can take more time to write it again. I am very disorganized, but over the years I learned to manage my little problem: D

16. Are grateful to those who help you

If someone helps you, please at least say thanks. Remember that people around you are your technical support (at least they pay). If anyone bothers to answer your queries agradécele for the next person will continue this good will.

17. Be humble

Essential. There is always someone who knows more and more in this one “under” where there are real skulls, several years ago that I program in PHP, yet always learn something new, and partly that’s what I like to schedule, provided can be improved.

18. Always looking perfeccionarte

Related to the previous point. The technologies are evolving and we must do the same. When we have a nice practice a little free time is to optimize our code for a few months earlier, if we learned new things from certain that we can do better than before.

19. Try to be efficient and then try again

That does not mean that works this well. Also one of the most beautiful programming: You can always make a more efficient, consuming less resources, do not conform to yield the results we want, we can probably do better.

20. The first program you like the least

This is quite personal, but usually I get good results. When I feel something scheduling the first few minutes are “setting” then I say a period of maximum concentration, then the things that seem more complicated or when they are faster and better get out, then when this one can focus more tired to things more simple and routine.

I had several more tips, but the list is really going to do very long

I hope you find it useful.