Microgen DBClarity Developer: Introductions

Got a minute or two to spare and still not quite sure where DBClarity Developer fits in? Watch the brief introduction video posted on our website: http://www.microgen.com/uk-en/products/microgen-dbclarity-developer.

DBClarity Webinar - Reusing SQL Queries

In my last entry I said that I'd watched Tristan's webinar on reusing a SQL query to create insert and merge statements. I enjoyed the re-usability aspect, so quickly created a video to show the feature, not having the patience to wait for Tristan's webinar to be published! The full webinar is now available; we've edited out the noise in the Q&A section, so it's all good content.  There are few useful questions and answers on pricing and a snippet of news about the great feature coming in the next release.  You can find the video on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbLEmZf79Hc.
If you missed these webinars, we're re-running the series to coincide with a SQL Server Relay, a 5-day event running in various cities and ending in London on the 30th May and we'll be there! Visit the Microgen/DBClarity website to register.

Learn to Reuse your SQL Queries: Working with Subqueries and Merge

This week we ran a new webinar for DBClarity Developer, focusing on creating SQL queries, first by creating a query and then reusing that query - using DBClarity Developer  - to make things nice and easy.  I go back and forth on this"nice and easy" because I started life writing SQL at the command line, so visual, graphical queries are still relatively new to me.  As I watched the webinar this week, I felt that same twinge of excitement when I show anyone something new.  Over the years I have loved teaching and presenting neat features in products.  I have not been at a conference or event in over a year, but I couldn't wait to show you this piece of code  - hence this little video.  It's all easy stuff, and I'm sure you'll like the "reuse" aspect of the demo.

I'm stealing a bit of Tristan's thunder. He did the webinar and the demo and in the video below, I'm doing an exact rework of his demo.  In the webinar he also talks of the benefits of the product and mentions an exciting new feature in the next release, so you'll have to watch the webinar to get all that news!

If your SQL is a little rusty, perhaps it takes a little while to build up a query or if you're wanting to learn new SQL syntax, then take a look at this demo.

More Information

• This is the link to previous webinars and other demos. 
• Future webinars are listed under Events
• Download the product and try these queries:  http://www.microgen.com/uk-en/products/microgen-dbclarity-developer

Do You Need to Learn to Write SQL Queries?

I'm an old timer... when I started in the industry years ago, I learned how to create Data Models and write SQL. Yes, yes, I admit, it wasn't the first thing, and it was after I dropped the punch cards on the floor at university...! Didn't we all? In fact I taught SQL for quite a few years before I moved on to teaching application development using the various tools offered by Oracle. By the time I left Oracle, nearly 20 years on, the developers were all learning Java, but we all still need SQL.

Generally, if we're putting data into a relational, SQL-based, database and then querying the results, we probably need to know some SQL.  I know that's a pretty broad statement, but if you're an application developer and you need to get at data by writing ad hoc queries, it's key to be able to write good SQL.

Most of the people I know in the tech industry are old timers too, by that I mean they've been writing SQL for so long they can't remember when they started and it's easy for them, but what about those new to the technology?  How do you get up to speed?  How do you learn SQL? Do you know the data model of the tables you are querying?  Do have access to tools that help you look at the data model? What about tools that help you learn to write SQL?

Yup, you know what's coming - if you're starting out, we have a tool that can help you learn SQL.  The graphical interface in DBClarity Developer allows you to create, what we call SQL Rules to interact with the database, by building a visual structure of the query.  You don't need to know SQL.  The great news is, that you can see the SQL created and reuse the SQL once its created and the feedback we've had is that new users are learning SQL.

Why not download the product today and see what you can do? There lots of shorts videos on the website to help yo get started and on Tuesday the 17th April, we're running a webinar showing you how to create  SQL Rules.  Register and learn!

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback - I'm on twitter @MCGN_DBClarity or @SueHarps

Ask the Experts and Learn More about DBClarity Developer

This Thursday, 29th March 2012, we're running a webinar on Microgen DBClarity Developer. If you're in the US, then join us at either 13:00 EST or 10:00 PST.  If you're is the UK and Europe, then join in at 18:00 BST. We do record our webinars, so if these times are a little inconvenient, then you can wait for the recording later, although a Q&A session after a recording won't happen(!) and of course, that's the benefit of joining a webinar, you can chat to the product manager and ask any questions you might have.

You can register for the webinar here:
https://microgen.webex.com/microgen/j.php?ED=206506177&UID=508006442&RT=MTgjMjE%3D

If you have not yet tried DBClarity Developer, then this webinar is a great place to start, by showing you how to get started and how to use the environment to graphically develop SQL queries and deploy them to the database.  This is the first in a series of webinars aimed at providing you with the knowledge and skills to start rapidly developing modular, reusable SQL queries and procedures.

Webinar Agenda

1.            Product overview

2.            Introduction to the DBClarity Developer Studio

3.            Connecting to the database and viewing tables

4.            Creating your first graphical SQL Rule

5.            Deploying your Rule to the database

6.            Summary and benefits

For more about this webinar and the next in the series, please visit the Events section on our website.

Hope to hear from you soon.

What do we mean by Graphical, Visual SQL?

I have written a few entries about Microgen DBClarity Developer, the new graphical SQL tool we've just launched and would love to hear what you think. Have you taken a look yet? Have you read some of the material and said, "I already have a SQL tool" and gone on to read another blog? What does drag-and-drop SQL code conjure up in your head?

Just today I was looking at this code:

I used another SQL tool too - I used Oracle SQL Developer to run my scripts and to populate and verify the data in the tables - why change old habits when they work well?! The fun thing is that I can use DBClarity Developer to produce that SQL by creating this diagram, using easy drag-and-drop...

When last did you write a more complex piece of SQL and scratch your head just a little to start with? How often do you execute the same piece of code? The graphical aspect of DBClarity Developer means that you don't need to worry about the code, the product does that. You build up the graphical flow and we create the code.  The good thing is that you don't need to decide on the database at the outset; you can use this same graphical representation to produce the SQL for Oracle, SQL Server or Teradata.  These graphical SQL rules are part of your project, so you can reuse them.

Visit the site today.  DBClarity Developer is production, why not download and try it out? 

Microgen DBClarity Developer is now Production

I'm pleased to announce that Microgen DBClarity Developer is now production and available for download from the Microgen site, where you can also find an overview flyer and presentations, tutorials, short feature videos, and more.

For other news, read the following press release: Microgen releases DBClarity Developer.

You can also watch the full set of  videos on YouTube.


Have fun!  Let us know how it goes.  All contact details are shown on the website.

Welcome to 2012! Is it Spring in the Air?

I'm not sure we've had a winter here, well in the south eastern reaches of the UK at least.  It's true that we're walking the dogs in the dark, which means it's winter, but my hands don't stick to the icy metal railings, instead we're walking in the dark to the tune of the dawn chorus!  Yesterday a severe storm wrenched trees from their roots and blew things about the garden, but we're still in double digit degrees (that's Celcius) and so definitely too mild to really be called winter; or am I finally getting used to the weather in the UK?

Still we're back and at 'em now I hope the break was good, restful and fun.  I'm back in London working with the team preparing for the launch of new software.  To that end I have done a mini series of videos on how to do a number of activities in Microgen DBClarity Developer. Instead of listing each video, I have created a YouTube playlist - the videos include "Creating Database Connection", "Adding files to Projects" and "Deploying Projects". 

Have fun!