"Isn't that just a join?"

[da]

At the dinner table:

d: What's on your to-do list that you're stressed about? Is there anything I can do to help?

D: [touched] Thanks for asking, but I don't think so. I've got a small pile of things to do for flgbtqc, their mailing list cleaning-up at the top of the list- it's being more complicated than I thought it would be.

d: What's that involve?

D: Mostly, removing 200 names from a list of 900, where we have a separate list of updates for the 200.

d: Isn't that just a join?

D: Well, yes, sort of. The program I wrote does compare the first and second columns in the two lists; but I'm not doing it with SQL, so-

d: [interrupts] I should point out that I've never written a line of SQL in my life. And also, that phrase, "Isn't it just a join," has turned out to be quite useful a few times when I'm talking about databases to people who do understand them.

D: ... [laughs]

d: But you have to admit, it's a useful phrase.


Why yes. Yes, it is. And now we all know your secret. *evil cackle*

Comments

[dawn-guy.livejournal.com]

So now I'm sitting here wondering whether you're doing it from the shell (call me old-fashioned if you will: sort, awk and comm are numbered among my friends) or writing it in Perl or PHP.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

I wrote a perl script that doesn't do it properly yet. :)

However, I have just now used comm for the very first time ever (and you may now giggle into your sleeve at people these days who claim to know unix). I may just might be able to save a whack of time overall by comparing those three columns- the output's just a titch more intuitive for this purpose than diff.

*hugs his awk and sort, brings comm into the hug as well*

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Should I be jealous?

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

*raises eyebrow*

;)

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I'm pretty sure you're cap-D and he's script-d. But just in case, I'll ask. And won't jump to assumptions about what that implies about you two :)

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Heh. Feel free to question your assumptions around here anytime.

He's socially been 'dan' since his early college days, and he's stuck with that; I guess one of a few social conventions he's stuck with over 15+ years? (Along with singing loudly while walking, etc etc.)

But his work webpage is conventionally capitalized nowadays. :)

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

No it isn't.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

OK, it isn't- I was mostly picturing the top line of text when I wrote to Dan. It's mostly not conventionally anything, but there are, you must admit, capital letters attached to your name in *some* conventional places. :)

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Yeah--it has my name in caps, too. But the title is not.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Such assumptions would be unwise indeed.

[persephoneplace.livejournal.com]

this has made me giggle - several times :)

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

It was a particularly giggle-oriented dinner for us, as well. :-)

[jeanne-d-arc.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation, I, too have stressful to-do work for FLGBTQC. Our office's computer lab is not yet running, so I can't transfer the newsletter to CD yet.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

I just sent you an email...

[sulle-stelle.livejournal.com]

I knew SQL once. I took this really awesome DB class. Too bad I've forgotten all of it. It sounds pretty easy to do, though. Do you know a sql person who can look at what you're doing?

perl/sed/awk would all work, though, too. Just not as efficiently.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Heh. Would you believe I used dawn_guy's suggestion and did what I needed to with awk, sort, and comm? In under an hour to sort out the 200 records, with fewer annoying parts than figuring out an automatic answer.

I'd never seen comm; it's like diff but sorts into visual columns. I like that.

Now, I just have to strip out the Libraries, Meetings, and Collections, because they're permanently getting the printed copies.

Versus the big list of 800 people who didn't reply, since it's been decided by an ad-hoc committee including Clerks and our WONDEROUS treasurer (hi Stasa!), all valid addresses will receive one more newsletter with a friendly "resubscribe here" notice.

*stops talking about it and goes to do it* ;)

[morgan-starfire.livejournal.com]

Me? You, oh tiara'd one, totally rock, and are helping to keep me sane, besides. I bow down before thee.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

You can't bow down before me if I'm bowing down before thee first, Ms. jump-right-in-with-the-volunteering. :)