Survey Results and the Future of this Newsletter

This issue of the newsletter is devoted to the recent survey and to the newsletter's future.

I'd like to tell you about the results of the survey. For starters, thank you to everyone who filled out the survey. It helps me to know what you think. So if you missed filling it out or you just have something to say, feel free to send an e-mail to udf@novicksofware.com.

Let's start with the results and some instant analysis:

Q1 Do you think you'll use .Net (CLR) programming in SQL Server 2005?

     Never          7.4%
     Sometimes     53.7%
     Often         33.3%
     All the time   5.6%
   

I'm with the vast majority here. I don't think there's going to be a choice about using .Net programming in some circumstances. There will be times when using SQL Server 2005 that a .Net routine is required. I also don't think it's going to be the best choice all the time. In many circumstances T-SQL will continue to be a superior solution We'll see.

Q2 The T-SQL UDF of the Week Newsletter concentrates on User-Defined Functions. How do you feel about adding these additional types of code to the newsletter?

                                                Prefer
                                    Like  Okay    Not   Dislike
                                    
T-SQL Stored Procedures (SQL 2000)   76%   16%     4%      4% 
T-SQL Stored Procedures (SQL 2005)   73%   21%     6%      0% 
.Net Client code such as ADO.Net     28%   45%    21%      6% 
ADO client code in VB 6              17%   32%    28%     23% 
.Net Stored Procedures      ,        50%   35%     9%      6% 
.Net Functions                       42%   38%    13%      6%

That's a pretty good endorsement for adding T-SQL stored procedures to the newsletter when writing about either version of SQL Server. I'm sort of surprised that the numbers for ADO.Net client code are as high as they are but that probably reflects that fact that many readers are writing it.

Q3 3. What .Net language would you prefer to see examples in? Give your first choice.

  Response                Percent 
    C#                      35.2%
    VB.Net                  42.6%
    JavaScript               0  % 
    J#                       0  % 
    None - Stick to T-SQL   18.5%
    Other (please specify)   3.7%   (C++  and ASP.Net)

So 78% like C# or VB.Net. I guess that's to be expected. See more in the next question.

Q4. What's your second choice of .Net programming language?

   Response               Percent 
    C#                      27.8%
    VB.Net                  27.8%  
    JavaScript              13  % 
    J#                       1.9% 
    None                    24.1% 
   Other (please specify)    5.6% 

Along with the previous question it seems that the lines are split pretty much even between C# and VB.Net. I write some of both but I've been doing much more VB.Net in the last 10 months due to client requests. The fact that there were any JavaScript requests is a little surprising. I only use it when I have to.

Q5. Do you do client side coding as well as T-SQL?

 Response   Percent
    Yes      68.5%
    No       24.1%
   Other      7.4%

This was a big surprise. I didn't expect the Yes to be so large. I guess most of you are primarily developers as opposed to primarily DBAs.

Q6. Have you ever used SQL Server CE (Pocket PC)?

   Response                    Percent
I use it in apps that I build.   3.7%
I use it in apps that I use.     3.7%
I support users who use it.      1.9% 
I don't use it.                 81.5%
Never heard of it.               7.4%
Other                            5.6% 

I included this because my next project is a .Net Compact Framework project that's going to use SQL CE. Of course, SQL CE doesn't have user-defined functions or stored procedures so there's only a limited number of subjects to write about.

Q7 What other databases do you use?

 
 Response                Percent 
Oracle                     39.5%
DB2                        18.6%
Access                     72.1%
Informix                    2.3% 
Sybase                      7  %
Other (please specify)     25.6% 

The suprise here is that so many of us use Access. I'm not planning on expanding beyond SQL Server but maybe a little about how to use SQL Server with an Access front end would be interesting.

Question 8 was an open-ended question for additional comments. Thank you for all the nice comments.

Now the question is: What am I going to do with the newsletter? I'm not totally sure but what I'm thinking is that I'll finish off Volume 2 with SQL Server 2000 User-Defined Functions and maybe expand a little into stored procedures. Then it will be time for a change. It's inevitable. SQL Server 2005 is coming. Probably even in 2005.

While the changes to T-SQL and UDFs in 2005 are interesting and I'll definitely be covering them, there's much more to 2005. In particular there is .Net (CLR) programming which is going to be a huge change. And it's not going to be possible to avoid it.

I've started using 2005 in a test environment. It's pretty cool although it'll take me a while to adjust, I'm sure I'll get there pretty soon. I've also got to talk with my publisher about what to do about the T-SQL UDF's book. New edition? I don't know but please don't even mention the word to my wife.

My current thinking is that beginning with Volume 3 the newsletter will get a new name. Something like "The SQL Coder". (I'm open to suggestions at udf@novicksoftware.com). It will start including articles about stored procedures pretty soon, but beginning with the new volume to will also go into T-SQL syntax issues and .Net (CLR) programming and maybe touch on topics such as the new DTS and client side programming. Based on the survey it looks like most of you are open these types of changes.

Let me know what you think. udf@novicksoftware.com

Do you have a great UDF that you'd like to share?  Or maybe you have a T-SQL problem that you think could be solved by a UDF but you don't know how? Send them to: UDF@NovickSoftware.com

and they might be published in this newsletter.  I try and respond to every request that I get. 

Thanks, 
Andrew Novick