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After finding this in a random search on Google for CSV to SQL converters a couple of days ago and dismissing it, I have just done some other queries for MySQL scripts and seen results like this:

What the hell is going on? Surely these don't give better SEO do they Google....?

They certainly don't help my search!

Popularity: 22% [?]

I work on all sorts of little personal projects in my spare time, most of which don't ever make it to a release (mainly due to time issues), and recently I've been finding more and more instances where I could do with some kind of object relational mapper (ORM) library to assist me.

In a very small nutshell, an ORM system will allow you to take the relevant parts of a database schema and functionality and map it to classes that you have written to effectively lower the barrier between the database and whatever it is you're writing.

This makes the interface to the database more fluid, and allows for automated building of SQL and other higher order operations to be performed easily, without having to worry too much about the actual mechanics of what is going on between your application and the database.

At work we use our own in house ORM system to achieve what we need to do in this regard, but I can't reasonably expect to use this for everything I do from now on as it is the property of the company I work for. Not only that, but just staying with what you know doesn't really help you improve on what you have, or gain new perspectives on what you're working with.

So, I thought I'd go off to Google, do a bit of searching, and find some ORM examples that I can use to knock together my own ORM library to do the things I need, but then I came across PHP Doctrine...

PHP Doctrine is fairly new and is described by its developers as follows:

"Doctrine is an ORM (object relational mapper) for PHP 5.2.x+ that sits on top of a powerful DBAL (database abstraction layer). One of its key features is the ability to optionally write database queries in an OO (object oriented) SQL-dialect called DQL inspired by Hibernates HQL. This provides developers with a powerful alternative to SQL that maintains a maximum of flexibility without requiring needless code duplication."

This sounded interesting so I decided to have a quick(ish) look through the user manual and got hooked! You can do a tonne of stuff with it, and in some ways its like having a (good) version of a tool like PHPMyAdmin that you can use on a system level - pretty much anything you could want to do in a database they have a map for which is great.

I'm not saying I'd use all the functionality they provide particularly, but a large chunk of it solves all my problems, saves me having to write my own, and being based on PHP 5.2+ I know it's modern, up-to-date and really taking full advantage of what the newer PHP versions have to offer.

If you use or are thinking of using a PHP based ORM solution in your projects, I'd seriously suggest having a look at the manual for PHPDoctrine before you write your own. Like anything, I have to admit that it does also have a couple of niggly bits of functionality that I  don't like, but really and truly, the pro's of it seriously out-weigh the cons.

You can read more about PHP Doctrine on its website here: PHPDoctrine

Popularity: 12% [?]

All this week I have been attending the 5 day MySQL Database Administrator Course in London and though I've not blogged about it all week I thought I'd give a brief review of how it's gone...

Simple answer is very, very well - a lot has been learned, a lot has been verified and invaluable experience has been put forwards not only by the speaker but also by the diverse and interesting group of people on the course.

In all there were 9 of us on the course, 7 from the UK, one from Eire and one from the USA, not including our Tutor who was also American. Everybody on the course came from a different perspective in their use of MySQL and this varied mix of high end job roles lead to some very useful and interesting discussion on the different challenges and methods used to over come various problems.

I won't mention names of the other delegates, as I've not asked them if it would be ok to do so, but the companies represented in the room were Eurostar (Intercontinental Train Operator), The Independent (Newspaper), Claranet (ISP), AstraZenica (Pharmaceuticals), Trend Micro (PC Health Software), Zend (The makers of PHP), as well as myself!

I was looking forward to it, and I have to say it's been one of the best courses I've been on. Everything was interesting and it was delivered (in my view) by an interesting and engaging speaker, though the course book did contain a few typo's and missing slides which was a bit annoying.

I've been able develop a list of solid recommendations to improve our database designs and strategies and my confidence with MySQL has increased a 1000 fold. I now carry a wealth of knowledge which I fully intend to build on further and really get into the MySQL community.

Though the course doesn't cover 100% what you need to pass the DBA certification exam it gets you a long way there and I'll be also taking that on soon

Popularity: 5% [?]