================================================ SEARCHDATABASE.COM'S Database Developer July 18, 2001 ================================================ Welcome to the searchDatabase.com Database Developer newsletter! Today's tip, "Why use stored procedures?" can also be viewed online at: http://www.searchDatabase.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci755947,00.html ************************************************ "Why use stored procedures?" By Parthasarathy Mandayam Stored procedures offer several distinct advantages over embedding queries in your Graphical User Interface (GUI). Your first thought may be: "Why tolerate the added development overhead?" After seeing the advantages, you may change your mind. Advantage 1: Stored procedures are modular. This is a good thing from a maintenance standpoint. When query trouble arises in your application, you would likely agree that it is much easier to troubleshoot a stored procedure than an embedded query buried within many lines of GUI code. Advantage 2: Stored procedures are tunable. By having procedures that handle the database work for your interface, you eliminate the need to modify the GUI source code to improve a query's performance. Changes can be made to the stored procedures--regarding join methods, differing tables, etc.--that are transparent to the front-end interface. Advantage 3: Stored procedures abstract or separate server-side functions from the client-side. It is much easier to code a GUI application to call a procedure than to build a query through the GUI code. Advantage 4: Stored procedures are usually written by database developers/administrators. Persons holding these roles are usually more experienced in writing efficient queries and SQL statements. This frees the GUI application developers to utilize their skills on the functional and graphical presentation pieces of the application. If you have your people performing the tasks to which they are best suited, then you will ultimately produce a better overall application. In short, queries are best handled via stored procedures. While the initial development overhead is greater, you will more than make up for the investment down the line MORE ON THIS TOPIC: The best database development resources: tips, tutorials, code, and more http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/bestWebLinks/0,289521,sid13_tax282900,00.html Ask your development questions--or help out your peers by answering them--in our live discussion forums: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/forums/0,289802,sid13_fid1,00.html Ask the Experts: We have Database Design, SQL, Oracle, DB2, and SQL Server gurus waiting to answer your toughest technical questions: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/ateExperts/0,289622,sid13,00.html ------------------------------------------------ LEARNING ZONE FEATURED BOOK OF THE WEEK ------------------------------------------------ "Data Analysis for Database Design" (Third Edition) By David Howe Data analysis for database design is a subject of great practical value to systems analysts and designers. This classic text has been updated to include chapters on distributed database systems, query optimisation and object-orientation.The SQL content now includes features of SQL92 and SQL 99. With new databases coming online all the time and the general expansion of the information age, it is increasingly important to ensure that the analysis and model of a database design is accurate and robust. This is an ideal book for helping you to ensure that your database is well designed and therefore user friendly. http://www.digitalguru.com/dgstore/product.asp?sku=0750650869&dept%5Fid=76&ac%5Fid=58 ------------------------------------------------ MORE GREAT STUFF ON SEARCHDATABASE.COM! ------------------------------------------------ Our Featured Topic this week: "Database certification: Worth the pain?" http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/featuredTopic/0,290042,sid13_gci754839,00.html Database certifications abound, with Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM leading the pack. But what do the experts think about the value of experience versus certification? Is it worth the time and money? Upcoming Live Expert Q&A audio chat on July 24: "Data mining for fun and profit" with Shaku Atre http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/onlineEvents/0,289675,sid13,00.html What potentially profitable secrets lie hidden in your data? Join a leading expert in a discussion on data mining technologies and how your business can use them to gain competitive advantage. Archived audio chat now available: "Database replication" with Michael Hotek http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/onlineEventsTranscriptSecurity/1,289693,sid13_gci749642,00.html An informative and lively presentation and chat with the SQL Server guru on this important but tricky subject. Ask the Expert category of the day: "Oracle" http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/ateAnswers/0,289620,sid13_tax285650,00.html Oracle is as technically complex as it is dominant in the database market. Our four Oracle experts are waiting to tackle your technical administration and development questions in this category. Hot topic in our DBA Water Cooler discussion forum: "Sending mail using stored procedures" http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/forums/0,289802,sid13_fid1,00.html Using xp_startmail and xp_sendmail in SQL Server 2000, how can you improve the speed of sending emails? If you can help, click on over to our forum! More high-quality SQL Server tips, tutorials, and code: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/bestWebLinks/0,289521,sid13_tax282894,00.html Fabian Pascal's latest rant about XML data management: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/tip/1,289483,sid13_gci752631,00.html ================================================ SUBMIT A TECHNICAL TIP AND WIN A PRIZE! ================================================ Do you have a time-saving shortcut, trick, or script that you want to share with other database pros? The first fifty individuals who submit a tip will receive a free searchDatabase.com hat. The highest rated tips each month will win our "Tip of the Month" contest and receive a high-quality searchDatabase.com denim shirt AND a free book of your choice from Wrox Press. We're accepting short, focused tips or code snippets on topics of interest to DBA's and database developers, such as Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, database design, SQL, performance tuning, etc. Click here for more info and to submit your tip: http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/tipsPrize/0,289492,sid13_prz520733_cts520732,00.html This will be a great way to share your knowledge, cement your status as an industry expert, and maybe win a prize. Send us your tip today! ================================================ If you would like to sponsor this or any TechTarget newsletter, please contact Gabrielle DeRussy at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ================================================ If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter simply reply to this message with "REMOVE" in the subject line. Or, visit http://searchDatabase.techtarget.com/register and adjust your subscriptions accordingly. If you choose to unsubscribe using our automated processing, you must send the "REMOVE" request from the email account to which this newsletter was delivered. Please allow 24 hours for your "REMOVE" request to be processed.
