larsolefson

Is that 10 hrs per new customer?

It would seem we're each doing what works for us.

I work mainly in MySQL and Teradata (which has tmp tables which are called volatile tables), and I do exactly what you describe when creating complex queries. My metric system is just a way to build those temp tables more rapidly.

I use two main functions to manipulate metrics:

  create_metric(metric_name,{cols_added},join_src,{join_cols},{extra_sql},{indices});

  add_metric(metric_name, my_other_table, {my_join_conditions});

  CREATE VOLATILE MULTISET TABLE add_metric_name AS (

  SELECT a.*, b.cols_added_1, b.cols_added_2,...,b.cols_added_n
  
  FROM my_other_table a

  LEFT JOIN join_src b

  ON a.my_join_condition_1 = b.join_col_1

  AND a.my_join_condition_2 = b.join_col_2

  ...

  AND a.my_join_condition_n = b.join_col_n

  [If there is extra sql, like where a.condition = X, or group by's like group by 1, 2, it would show up here. SQL here can reference the join columns and table name in an add_metric stmt]

  ) WITH DATA PRIMARY INDEX(indice_1, indice_2) ON COMMIT PRESERVE ROWS;

It also allows me to search all of my metrics on a number of different dimensions: the common name of the information I am adding (metric name), column names, tables, join conditions (particularly useful - It helps you map how you'll get from one metric to another), indices, or any combination of the above. For example I can find all metrics that have the word phone in the metric name and are joinable on user_id.

I'm aware of Oracle's lack of tmp tables. My fiancée has to use Oracle SQL at work, and I quickly discovered its lack of tmp tables when trying to help her solve a SQL issue.

Sorry for the confusion.

When my list of columns is long, I split it up into multiple lines, usually 7-8 per line (where I work, column names are capped at 30 chars, hence the 200 character estimate), unless it is a case statement. In case statements, each case/when clause get its own line, so you'll have:

case when condition then result \ when condition_2 then result_2 \ ...\ when condition_n then result_n end as column_name \

All of my queries and statements follow the same logic and set of rules, I just prefer a more compact view than most it seems (which could indicate that I'm optimizing for a different set of constraints/preferences).

I'll have to look into using :split.

Honestly I don't think about formatting that much anymore, as I've started storing most of my statements as "metrics" which can be easily repurposed for use in another script. Each metric contains the name of the metric, the columns added, the metric source (usually a table, but can also be a select stmt), the possible join conditions, extra SQL like where, group by, qualify, and any indices. When I want to use that metric in another script, I can do so by specifying the metric name, the table or select statement I'd like append the metric's columns to, and my join conditions. It works great for simple to moderately complex queries, and provides you a good starting point for really complex queries. Plus, it auto-formats everything how I like it. I also use comments to explain what the statement is doing, so someone theoretically should be able to get a pretty good idea of whats going just by reading that.

I really only think about formatting when I'm reading others code and trying to make sense of it, which is where I find the the formatting like the author mentioned most annoying/frustrating (perhaps because it's different than how I think/do things?).

Perhaps I didn't explain myself well. I also noticed that my spacing got messed up. Each SQL command (create, update, insert, select, from, join, on, and, where, group by, etc...) is on its own line, followed by the portion relevant to it. My SQL is still formated, but the preference is towards putting each "section" of the statement on its own line, rather than on separate lines.

For example (i've added \ as line break in case those get lost again):

select \ a., \ b.column1, \ b.column2, \ b.column3 \ from \ my_table a \ left join \ my_other_table b \ on \ a.col = b.col \ and \ a.col2 = b.col2 \ where \ a.col = condition \ group by \ column1, column2 \ ;

vs.

select a., b.column1, b.column2, b.column3 \ from my_table a \ left join my_other_table b \ on a.col = b.col \ and a.col2 = b.col2 \ where a.col = condition \ group by column1, column2 \ ;

I'll take the 2nd approach any day, particularly when I have statements above and below that reference that statement, because I can more easily understand the context of the entire script. I also prefer this, because in my mind, there is greater continuity, my_table is related to from, so it makes sense that it should follow it. I read left to right, and don't need to move down to a new line.

My personal style diverges considerably.

First, most of my SQL scripts are multiple statements, typically 6+, ranging up as high as 100. When I'm reading and trying to digset such scripts, the long format described by the author, particularly putting each column on its own row, makes it difficult to easily digest the script. I'm forced to scroll constantly to make sense of the statements in relation to one another. Instead, I prefer to my SQL to be more compact, so I can view as much of the total script as possible.

To accomplish this, and to maintain readability, I structure each statement something like this:

CREATE/INSERT/UPDATE line SELECT line FROM line JOINS (if present) ON (if present) WHERE (if present) AND (if present) Additional SQL (qualify, group by, order by) ;

If I have a lot of columns, the select portion will get split into several lines, usually where there is a case when, column operations, or when the line is 200ish characters long.

This makes the most sense to me, as each command (create, update, insert, select, from, join, on, where, and, group by) is on its own line, followed by the information relevevant to it.

I've started a blog where I post an idea a day, both to help me remember, but also to help train myself to think more creatively. A number of the ideas could function as startups.

http://blog.shopsimply.me/category/ideas/

A lot of the ideas skew towards tech and software, but some of them are actual products that could be built, and some are just half-baked ideas that might incrementally useful for an existing product.

Thats close, but I think it would still require too much clicking, and that the interface could be drastically improved. A lot of the actions I do are repeated, so I am trying to figure out a way to minimize the typing and clicking I do. However, I don't know which actions I will be doing at any given time, so I can't script them.