Robert Gravelle

Both the Importing XML Data into MySQL Tables Using a Stored Procedure and the Enhance Your MySQL XML Import Procedures using Prepared Statements tutorials described a way to overcome MySQL’s import restrictions using the “proc-friendly” Load_File() and ExtractValue() functions.  While by no means a perfect solution, it got the job done.  Now it’s time to […]

In the Querying the WordPress Database tutorial, we reviewed the WordPress (WP) MySQL database structure and learned how to utilize the $wpdb object to SELECT a single value or column from a couple of key WP tables.  In today’s follow-up, we’ll find out how to employ $wpdb’s get_row() and get_results() methods. Selecting a Single Row […]

The standard installation of WordPress creates the underlying database and tables.  The default database is MySQL, but MariaDB is supported as well.  You can easily work with WordPress without ever seeing the database, but should your site grow to a certain level of complexity, you will almost certainly have to get in there.  In fact, […]

To err is human, or so the saying goes.  Unfortunately, in the world of IT, innocuous mistakes made early on can lead to really daunting problems down the road. While you can never eliminate human error or bad decisions, there are steps that you can take to minimize the likelihood of finding yourself in a […]

It’s been said that one of the drawbacks to normalization to the third form (3NF) is more cumbersome data extraction due to the greater number of tables.  These require careful linking via JOIN clauses.  Improper table joining can easily result in erroneous results or even in the dreaded Cartesian Product. In today’s article, we’ll explore […]

Did you know that large well-known companies like Google, Yahoo, NASA, and Walmart all use MySQL? Well, it’s true.  Moreover, some of these companies’ tables may contain billions of rows.  Yet, they all maintain enviable performance.   While there is no silver bullet to keeping your MySQL database running briskly, there are a few performance tweaks […]

A proper database design is essential to achieving your goals in working with a database, whether they prioritize rapid information retrieval, efficient storage, or some combination of both.  Therefore, investing the time to apply the principles of good design should be a high priority.  Once completed, your database will better meet your needs and can […]

One of my favorite TV shows as a boy was In Search of…, hosted by the late great Leonard Nimoy. Every week he would explore some unusual natural phenomena or paranormal occurrence.  It never failed to stoke the fires of my imagination!  Fast forward to 2016, and I now found myself on a quest of […]

The Cloud: it’s a relatively new way of describing something that’s been around for a while.  It sounds rather mystical, but in truth, it’s really just a physical infrastructure of many computers housed in massive warehouses located all over the world.  In this age of uninterrupted connectivity, the Cloud holds massive appeal to everyone from […]

The MySQL 5.7.7 JSON Lab release introduced a native JSON datatype, which opened the door for handling JSON data in ways that were previously impossible. In the Working with JSON Data in MySQL 7 tutorial, I presented a general overview of the new functions that were introduced to make working with the JSON data type […]

Here in Canada our upcoming federal election is sparking a veritable barrage of polls and statistics. Often times the figures just don’t seem to agree. What are we to make of all this? Epidemic or Random Clustering? Examine the location of the Aces in a recently shuffled deck of cards. Are they spaced a similar […]

Fuzzy searching has become a very prominent feature of Web search engines like Google.  One of the key factors in Google’s explosive growth was its ability to locate Web pages that are likely to be relevant to your search terms even if they don’t map exactly to the content that you are looking for.  The […]