April 2009 - Posts

• XP Mode in Windows 7

  Microsoft finally announced the XP Mode optional feature for Windows 7: http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/business/archive/2009/04/24/coming-soon-windows-xp-mode-and-windows-virtual-pc.aspx . By adding an XP virtual machine to your Windows 7 installation, Read More... Posted Sunday, April 26, 2009 1:22 AM by John Paul Cook | 4 Comments Filed under: Windows 7

• How Orphans Affect Semi Joins and Anti Semi Joins

  When writing queries, we often can think of more than one way to solve a problem. There is danger in assuming that two different queries are logically equivalent when they return the same results. For example, just because a database has referential integrity Read More... Posted Saturday, April 18, 2009 6:54 PM by John Paul Cook | 0 Comments

• Disaster Recovery for Your Windows Mobile Phone

  Right after doing a hard reset of my Windows Mobile phone, I realized that my phone’s contacts hadn’t been backed up. Now that’s a disaster! I had Kalen Delaney’s and Paul Nielsen’s cell phone numbers on my cell phone – not something to lose. From the Read More... Posted Sunday, April 12, 2009 10:18 PM by John Paul Cook | 2 Comments Filed under: Tips and Tricks

• Finding Tables Without Referential Integrity

  Following up on yesterday's post from Louis, sometimes you encounter databases with missing referential integrity constraints. Even when the database is intended to have RI, accidents happen. Maybe a script dropped RI constraints before a bulk load and Read More... Posted Wednesday, April 08, 2009 1:38 PM by John Paul Cook | 10 Comments Filed under: Tips and Tricks

• Linking Executive Pay to Performance

  With all of the public outcry against executive compensation and irresponsible corporate behavior, April Fool's Day seems like the perfect day for offering solutions. My solution is to link executive pay to lottery ticket sales. Employees often have a Read More... Posted Wednesday, April 01, 2009 7:37 AM by John Paul Cook | 2 Comments Filed under: April Fool's Day