[lug] SQL and JAVA on Linux

[D. Stimits]

John Starkey wrote:
> 
> > > I am, as per the headhunters' requests delving into JAVA. I haven't heard
> > > of much mention of JAVA as an interface to SQL. Is this common??
> >
> > I see more and more java interfaces to various database related
> > applications.
> 
> I've been surfing since 92. I remember a few years ago I went thru Sun's
> tutorial, never followed thru. But anyway. Do you (or anyone else no of
> some good sites that are running JAVA, and more better, Linux and JAVA.
> I've never paid attention to any of the coding or scripting involved with
> any sites. The transition from strictly HTML has been kinda slow looking
> at it daily but the over-all picture shows some rapid changes I didn't
> notice, or didn't care til now. I remember hating UNIX because I couldn't
> figure it out in 92, with no manual and just a mac classic with telnet.
> Now I'm migrating to 3 parts UNIX 1 part mac (and no doze :})

This is the resistance to change I mention. At work, I know people who
have created proof-of-concept apps that are superior to our current
apps, but change is not happening. The tendency is to ride current
technology until it is too obsolete to compete. It is a game of
perceptions by "the powers that be". You might check out some of the
sample java mapping technologies from www.mapinfo.com. Autodesk also has
some java stuff, but they lag behind in implementation "spit and shine".
You can find lots of news from sun or blackdown's sites as well, just
browsing around links. I mention the first two simply because I write
software to run with them and am familiar with it.

> 
> > is somewhat unifying where it is available, so it might
> > have an advantage in a mixed environment, provided each has a java
> > interface.
> 
> That's re-assuring.
> 
> > You need to learn SQL no matter what interface, if you really want to do
> > the job (some people will tell you MS Access is all you need...provided
> > you are willing to be inefficient or aggravated).
> 
> Even before I started *nix I never resorted to Windoze, or MS, so Ithink
> I'll stick with *nix. I interviewed with MicroStaff two days ago and she
> was using Access. I only saw the screen a couple times. I didn't feel it
> was appropriate for me to ask her to let me play with the keyboard :{.
> 
> > I don't have much of a
> > comment on which shell to use...use one that doesn't interfere with you.
> 
> Bash it is.
> 
> > By all means, learn java at the same time...it's hard for SQL to do much
> > good without an application to link it to...you can enter all things at
> > a console, but that is a tool now and then, not a goal.
> 
> Any ideas or comments on a learn-all type project. Something that would
> cover all facets of JAVA?

A bigtime use of db now is a sql interface to web apps. If you were to
create a web app using java applets (do *not* bother with javasript,
despite its popularity...it's technically challenged, and terribly
broken in compatibility), and it did something typical of looking up and
writing data for someone, you'd have covered a majority of fundamentals.
Java applets are full java, unlike javascript. If it interfaced with
something graphical, such as displaying maps and allowing you to
interact with a list of objects on the map, you'd be quite a ways
along...anything else would be a variation. Try to do things with a
combination of tables and views, rather than just tables. Experiment
with indexing for performance.

> 
> > If you want a db over 2 gig, you'll need some patches to work it on
> > linux. If you're trying to learn or don't need over 2 gig, linux is
> > probably cheaper.
> 
> I'll cross that bridge later (hopefully). I won't have that much DB on
> these machines for a while.
> 
> This is bordering OT, I may have to look for a list more on topic,
> but as long as noone minds, I'd really like to hear everyones input.
> 
> TiA,
> 
> John
> 
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