Interesting snippet for programmers

Noreen · Dec 30, 2008, 11:14:58

From the Letters page in the current "New Scientist".

QuoteDavid Wilks asked whether the nature of our TV-watching affects our dreams (29 November, p 24).

When I was learning website design and practising for hours every day, I used to dream in HTML.

That is, I used to write paragraph breaks, image insertion, links and so forth as the dream went along - almost like subtitles.

<p>Sad, but true...</p>

The letters editor writes:

• Call that sad? Last month I woke up in the middle of a dream conducted in SQL database queries... and they worked.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026871.100-select--from-dream.html

gizmo71 · Dec 30, 2008, 11:28:00

IMHO HTML doesn't constitute 'programming' and SQL is pretty borderline...

Noreen · Dec 30, 2008, 11:31:50

Stop nit-picking.

Rik · Dec 30, 2008, 12:31:16

What have you got against nits, Noreen?

Sebby · Dec 30, 2008, 13:29:37

I understand where the guy is coming from. Often I've got work on my mind, and I'm actually thinking numbers in my dreams.

Rik · Dec 30, 2008, 13:31:14

I'd better not say what I dream about then.

Sebby · Dec 30, 2008, 13:35:01

We already know: Meridian.

Rik · Dec 30, 2008, 14:34:02

OK, when I'm not dreaming about food or hi fi...

Sebby · Dec 30, 2008, 19:33:46

Fibre?

Rik · Dec 31, 2008, 09:44:25

Or fibre.

Steve · Dec 31, 2008, 09:51:00

Quote from: Rik on Dec 31, 2008, 09:44:25

Or fibre.

Back to food again

Sebby · Dec 31, 2008, 10:09:18

We all like a bit of roughage.

Rik · Dec 31, 2008, 10:11:08

And I certainly feel that way this morning.

psp83 · Dec 31, 2008, 12:59:17

Quote from: gizmo71 on Dec 30, 2008, 11:28:00
IMHO HTML doesn't constitute 'programming' and SQL is pretty borderline...

Depends what SQL you use and how you use it. it can get advanced with SQL joins, if else statements inside the SQL, sub selects etc, etc.

gizmo71 · Dec 31, 2008, 17:34:06

Quote from: psp83 on Dec 31, 2008, 12:59:17
Depends what SQL you use and how you use it. it can get advanced with SQL joins, if else statements inside the SQL, sub selects etc, etc.

Indeed, and I've been known to concoct some pretty frightening SQL myself on occasion, but sadly my experience with virtually every 'developer' who claims to specialize in SQL Server, Oracle PL/SQL, DB2 et al is that their eyes glaze over when I explain that the comma between 'table' names is shorthand for an inner join, and have no concept of the difference between head and tail recursion.

These days it seems that being able to turn a PC on constitutes "knowing computers", and operating a web browser makes on an expert.

Rik · Dec 31, 2008, 17:36:13

... and now in English, for the hard of understanding.

Simon · Dec 31, 2008, 20:53:05

Yes, please hold the idiot boards up higher, for this bored idiot!