mssql-scripts is a multi-platform tool to script database objects

In your SSMS on your computer you can use the Generate Scripts drop-down
menu to create scripts for database objects as shown here for Northwind database on SQL Server 2016 SP1.

The above is for SQL Server on Windows Platform. However, mssql-scripts tool provide the same functionality as Generate Scripts wizard on SQL Servers on Linux and macOS. Of course mssql-scripts would work on Windows as well.

Using mssql-scripts based on Python you can generate T-SQL scripts for objects on SQL Servers, Azure SQL database and Azure SQL Data Warehouse. The generated script is saved to a .sql file or on Linux can be piped to standard Unix utilities (sed, awk and grep). The scripts can be checked into source control systems as well.

The source code for mssql-scripter is found here:
https://github.com/Microsoft/sql-xplat-cli

HTML5 related technology to replace Adobe Flash

Adobe itself concedes that Adobe Flash need to go and will turn-off Adobe Flash by 2020. Adobe in the mean time will migrate users to other programs.

Why did Adobe take that decision?

Two things, flash plug-ins are insecure, the other, the emergence of HTML5. Why keep something that can be done as easily with a option adored by the community and more secure.

However, Adobe Flash may stay on for gaming and related applications.

I am sorry that it has to go!

YouTube disappears from Samsung Smart TV

This happened on our Samsung Model UN46F7500AF Smart TV purchased in 2013 but the Model began selling in 2012. Speaking to the Samsung support team in USA gives me the feeling that YouTube created a new platform and that the older TV (Prior to 2012) does not support the new YouTube platform.

I will have to pursue this matter with YouTube site for confirmation.

In Summary, the reason YouTube disappeared is not because of Samsung, but because of YouTube's platform changes according to Samsung.

Open source and Single Page Web apps

It is exactly what it says. Single Page Applications (SPAs) are web applications with a single web page that uses AJAX for its dynamic interactions. As page refresh is on the client side the SPAs can have downside of performance degradation if they are not properly designed and SEO optimized.

There are many JavaScript frameworks to write SPAs. There are lots of JavaScript frameworks that you can use to build SPAs. Lots of them are Open Source. Here are some:

WinJS
Angular
React
Ember
Aurelia
Dojo
Vue.js
Cycle.js
Backbone
Dojo


I hear a lot about Angular and Aurelia, perhaps more people are using them.
Intel XDK had both Angular and Backbone templates, but they are not supporting them anymore.

AngularJS is in Version 2.

I have a large number of posts on Intel XDK here.

ntext, nchar and nvarchar differences

These are basically used for textual information related data types. There is a strong recommendation not to use ntext as it is not going to be supported.

These are their definitions from Microsoft Documentation.

ntext (National Text):
Variable-length Unicode data with a maximum string length of 2^30 - 1 (1,073,741,823) bytes. Storage size, in bytes, is two times the string length that is entered

nchar [ ( n ) ]
Fixed-length Unicode string data. n defines the string length and must be a value from 1 through 4,000. The storage size is two times n bytes. When the collation code page uses double-byte characters, the storage size is still n bytes. Depending on the string, the storage size of n bytes can be less than the value specified for n. The ISO synonyms for nchar are national char and national character..
1
nvarchar [ ( n | max ) ]
Variable-length Unicode string data. n defines the string length and can be a value from 1 through 4,000. max indicates that the maximum storage size is 2^31-1 bytes (2 GB). The storage size, in bytes, is two times the actual length of data entered + 2 bytes. The ISO synonyms for nvarchar are national char varying and national character varying.

ntext is supposed to be discontinued, but in actuality it is still present as a choice in data types listing even in SQL Server 16.

Backing up legacy database to SQL Server 2012 (x86) using SSMS 17.1

SQL Server Management Studio 17.1 does well in backing up a Northwind database to a SQL Server 2012 Express (x32bit) on Windows 10 OS.

A backup of Northwind database was obtained from the Codeplex site and was saved to one of the folders on a Dell computer with Windows 10 OS. The computer also has SQL Server Management Studio (v 17.1). You should be able to restore using the SQL Server Management Studio installed when you installed the SQL Server 2012 Database engine.

Follow these steps to restore the Northwind database to an instance of SQL Server 2012 (x86) installed on the same computer.

Step 1. Start SQL Server Management Studio v17.1 (Run as administrator)

The SSMS is version 17.1 and Hodentek9\PCATT is a SQL Server 2012 Express

Step 2. Right click the Databases node highlighted in the PCATT isntnace as shown.

RestoreDB_01

Step 3: Click Restore Database...

Restore Database window is displayed as shown.

RestoreDB_02

Step 4: The Default Source is Database and it is greyed out as shown. Chnage it to Device. The Restore Database gets changed as shown.

RestoreDB_03

Step 5: Click the ellipsis button along 'Device' in the above image.

Select backup devices window shows on top of Restore Database window as shown.

RestoreDB_04

Step 6: Click Add button in Select backup devices window.
Locate Backup File window gets displayed as shown.

RestoreDB_05

Usually the 'backup files with extension .bak' are found in the following directory in the case of x32 bit SQL Server.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.PCATT\MSSQL\Backup

However, for this exercise it is stored in a different location.

Step 7: Now browse to that location and highlight the Northwind.bak (A backup file which came from a Microsoft site) as shown.

RestoreDB_06

Step 8: Click OK. The file path is entered in the Select backup devices window as shown.

RestoreDB_07.png

Step 9: Click OK
You are returned to the Restore Database - Northwind as shown.

RestoreDB_08.png

Step 10: Click OK in the above.

Microsoft SQL Server Managment Studio message reports that the database
'Northwind' restored successfully.

RestoreDB_09.png

Step 11: Click OK to the message. Verify that Northwind database is in the SQL Server 2012 instance Hodentek9\PCATT

RestoreDB_10.png


Bye

Set-Location : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument <.....>

Power Shell does not like white spaces. While it may like or .  I got stumped for while as I started getting this exception.

The trick to do this changing directory is to use double quotes around words with white spaces as shown here.

I have Power Shell 5.0 on my Windows 10 Pro OS.

Go on, build apps with Microsoft Graph...

Microsoft SQL Server is for accessing data and Microsoft Graph is to access the myriad of things that are not really part of the database. The thing that spring to the mind are thins like, emails; your devices; the teams you work with; calendars; files; messages, peoples etc..

Also read this post on Graph databases:

http://hodentek.blogspot.com/2013/12/what-is-neo4j.html

A quick look at this image shows how Microsoft Graph is positioned.

Well, what is it Microsoft good for?

Believe me, you indeed have a great deal of use for it. Allow me to quote Microsoft:
'
Looks at your next meeting and helps you prepare for it by providing profile information for attendees, including their job titles and who they work with, as well as information on the latest documents and projects they're working on (pro-active, do diligence).

Scans your calendar, and suggests the best times for the next team meeting.

Fetches the latest sales projection chart from an Excel file in your OneDrive and lets you update the forecast in real time, all from your phone.

Subscribes to changes in your calendar, sends you an alert when you’re spending too much time in meetings, and provides recommendations for the ones you could miss or delegate based on how relevant the attendees are to you.

Helps you sort out personal and work information on your phone; for example, by categorizing pictures that should go to your personal OneDrive and business receipts that should go to your OneDrive for Business.
'
Behind Microsoft Graph is the Microsoft Graph API; a RESTful web api that enables you to access Microsoft Cloud serivce resources.
Come back to this blog again for more on Microsoft Graph.

Go here and gets started:

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/docs/concepts/get-started

Get this funding support and start training if you are in Hawaii

Things are changing very fast, especially in the STEM area. Do not wait to get qualified. IT industry  requires a lot of people (of course, with right skills). Learning is both time intensive and expensive in many cases. There are, low cost but very effective training programs, that will bring you up to speed to address todays job requirements.

Strada Hawai'i Government Stem Workforce Fund can help you to get started if you are eligible and work for government(City, State or Federal). This agency is geared to fund in the following fields: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Read up this information on this image and start making calls. Who knows, you may end up getting support to get into one of the many possible courses depending on your suitability.
The Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training offer a number of courses in the IT Arae  and you could register for one of these courses on getting this fund. Contact PCATT.org or the Program Manager, Beryl Morimoto at beryl.morimoto@hawaii.edu

Two important points to note:
1. Training must be completed on or before September 29, 2017. 
2. With supervisory approval, the employee can pay for training and receive Strada support if the department or agency does not have training funds.

Also other resources of immediate use:
https://pcatt.org/strada-hawaii-government-employee-stem-workforce-development-fund

Go on, start off with the application process:
Download application form here:
https://pcatt.org/uploads/widget/stemworkforcefund_v11.pdf

Three of my present students attending the BASIC SQL course are funded by STRADA.

Check out new features in Power BI Desktop (July 2017 Version)

The July 5 version of Microsoft Power BI Desktop can be downloaded from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=45331

The details of this version  are here

Summary of new/improvements:
Reporting
    New table & matrix visuals are now generally available
    Renaming fields in visuals
    Custom visuals store integration
    Relative date filters
    Responsive layout for visuals (preview)
    New waterfall chart option - breakdown
    Custom visual updates
        Drilldown Choropleth
        Drilldown Cartogram
        Drilldown Player
        Certified custom visuals

Analytics & modeling
    Quick measures from the community
        Star rating
        Concatenated list of values
    Bidirectional cross filtering for DirectQuery is now generally available

Data connectivity
    Snowflake connector general availability

Query editing
    Add Column from Examples enhancements

Watch the video for new feature details:

Microsoft has done quite well, don't you think?

Cloud and Big Data has made a lot of changes...

Big Data exposure with Oracle and Microsoft

The above title and the below paragraph is from the following link:
http://www.valuewalk.com/2014/07/oracle-corporation-orcl-launches-big-data-sql/

"Moerdler rates Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) as Outperform, giving it a $49 price target (currently $41) based on a 12-month adjusted EPS estimate of $3.58, a 13x PE multiple, and adding back in net cash per share discounted by 30%"
Current: $50.14 (7/2/2017)

"He also argues that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a good Big Data play, rating it Outperform and giving it a $56 price target (currently $43.50), because he believes management is heavily focused on mobile and cloud products and that EPS growth is going to pick up as the company moves its focus away from the slowing PC market"

Current: $68.93 (7/2/2017)

After a 3 year period of many political and economic changes Microsoft seems to have outformed Oracle which may be attributed to its all out effort and emphasis on Cloud Services not withstanding its PC and Phone performance.