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Speaking as not an SQL guru -- isn't this true for every skill? Theoretically anyone can figure anything out with enough time, the value is of specialists havin

Speaking as not an SQL guru -- isn't this true for every skill? Theoretically anyone can figure anything out with enough time, the value is of specialists having better mental maps for what solutions apply, when you need them.

whynotminot 8y ago
> isn't this true for every skill? But you're implying then that all skills are equally hard to get a handle on, and that's just not true. Working with sql is fairly simple even for those who aren't experts. But (as the article mentions) it's not always something a dev has done before or consistently so they'll often feel relieved if there's someone who's confident about it around.
- sooheon 8y ago
  Yes, but I'd say helping out and saving time is just being useful, not "seeming" useful. I suspect like any domain, SQL and DBs have a fractal of complexity, so reading is different from writing is different from architecting, and expertise is useful at each step.
- dominotw 8y ago
  >Working with sql is fairly simple even for those who aren't experts. Its not though. There are windows, subqueries, joins , various functions, proprietary extensions, partitions, aggregations ect ect. Even if you get all the down, figuring out a performant version of the query is another hurdle, the whole 'simple' abstraction falls apart once you start tuning your query.
- ehnto 8y ago
  Sure, you can get away with some basic SQL knowledge in simple CRUD applications, but any kind of complex reporting and analytics software with a complex data set is going to take a bit more than simple SQL. It's a career specialization, there are people getting paid astronomical amounts of money for their knowledge of SQL alone, and it's their full time job. Some queries are hundreds of lines long, conjure up entirely new databases from the query itself, and trigger complex procedures across the entire application, all within SQL. It can be as complex as any application logic. Simple SQL is pretty easy to learn, but I wouldn't say you "have a handle" on it if all you've got is the basics.

whynotminot 8y ago

> isn't this true for every skill? But you're implying then that all skills are equally hard to get a handle on, and that's just not true. Working with sql is fairly simple even for those who aren't experts. But (as the article mentions) it's not always something a dev has done before or consistently so they'll often feel relieved if there's someone who's confident about it around.

sooheon 8y ago
Yes, but I'd say helping out and saving time is just being useful, not "seeming" useful. I suspect like any domain, SQL and DBs have a fractal of complexity, so reading is different from writing is different from architecting, and expertise is useful at each step.
dominotw 8y ago
>Working with sql is fairly simple even for those who aren't experts. Its not though. There are windows, subqueries, joins , various functions, proprietary extensions, partitions, aggregations ect ect. Even if you get all the down, figuring out a performant version of the query is another hurdle, the whole 'simple' abstraction falls apart once you start tuning your query.
ehnto 8y ago
Sure, you can get away with some basic SQL knowledge in simple CRUD applications, but any kind of complex reporting and analytics software with a complex data set is going to take a bit more than simple SQL. It's a career specialization, there are people getting paid astronomical amounts of money for their knowledge of SQL alone, and it's their full time job. Some queries are hundreds of lines long, conjure up entirely new databases from the query itself, and trigger complex procedures across the entire application, all within SQL. It can be as complex as any application logic. Simple SQL is pretty easy to learn, but I wouldn't say you "have a handle" on it if all you've got is the basics.