SQL is a common language implemented by most databases. While it’s a nice language it does lack some features available in some databases (which often differ from database to database). Some argue, that you shouldn’t go beyond the contrains and limitations in SQL because that removes your ability to switch to a different database. That’s just wrong (in my opinion). SQL usually allows you to do all the searches and CRUD operations you need, and by not going beyond the limitations posed by SQL you can switch your application to another database with an absolute minimum number of changes in your application - especially if you utilize the Perl DBI or the Pear DB (in PHP).
I’ve been busy hacking away on a script which would read the XMLTV format and pour it into a mysql database. It’s fun but nothing is quite as easy as it should be. I’ve rediscovered it once again. I had never before tried to parse XML data from Perl, but a quick google visit suggested it should be a breeze as everyone else seems to do it. I haven’t done my homework and really figured out what the various differences between the many methods you can parse XML is – so I basically found a few examples and picked the one the example used (XML::Parser) that.
There are quite a large number of tools available for testing and checking a website, but the most valuable is (without doubt) the Web Page Analyzer – as it does tell (and help) you optimize your site in ways you may not have thought of. I am assuming that the site in question is either valid HTML (as any good site should be) or at least tested and found working in the browsers it should work in.
If you’re php developer you should check out php | architect. It a monthly magazine aimed at PHP developers and actually quite good. It used to come in PDF-format only, but has recently also launched a dead trees version. It’s a nice mixture of tips, software reviews, interviews and programming techniques. While all articles isn’t equally interesting, it is certainly well worth the US$2.09 which the PDF-version cost. A free copy available from their site.
It seems it’s going surprisingly well for java after a rough birth and slow adoption. This year on the JavaOne conference they celebrated the success by changing their logo and launching a new end-user oriented portal at java.com. If you’re developer, your source for information is still at java.sun.com.