Re^5: perl & SQL best practices

[JavaFan]

Tell me what you do or would do as a programmer if you had complete control over your db server.

How many times do I need to repeat: IT DEPENDS. Define goals. Measure. Know what the budget is. Work out what needs to be done. There are no magic bullets.

Of course, we all use strict.

That's like saying: "what should I do when I need to transport something? Of course we all check our headlights first." If you don't tell me what you need to transport from which pickup point to which destination, at what time, what the budget for it is, what your resources are and when it has to be there, don't expect me to tell you whether you should use a bicycle, a pick-up truck a train, or whether you should hire a specialist company. Magic bullets do not exist.

Do you have similar rules you follow

I do have rules I follow (but they aren't as mindless, boring and and a bit more useful than "use strict"), and they are: do not do anything without knowing what's going on, what the goal is, and what the budget is (budget is to be taken in a broad sense. It includes, but is not limited to: money, people, time frame, regulations, knowledge). Aka, don't run around as a headless chicken, going in any direction monks in the peanut gallery are shouting to you.