What does the phrase "in the gooey" mean? [more inside]
posted by ergibson on Oct 21, 2009 - 28 answers

How do I get access to UK retail barcodes? I would like to build an application for scanning my shopping at home. [more inside]
posted by yoHighness on Jun 28, 2009 - 4 answers

What are the repercussions of seeking treatment for bipolar disorder on my employability? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 16, 2009 - 10 answers

Can I modify an existing CMS to serve as the backend for a browser game? [more inside]
posted by twins named Lugubrious and Salubrious on Apr 28, 2009 - 6 answers

I'm interested in doing data-based mashups. What are some really cool, deep sources of publicly available data? [more inside]
posted by jbickers on Apr 23, 2009 - 17 answers

Can I specify the order in an ORDER BY clause in a SQL Statement? If not then what is the best way of doing the following query? [more inside]
posted by xetere on Feb 19, 2009 - 9 answers

I listened in on an engineering design lecture a few days ago, and was fascinated to find out that there are apparently databases out there that contain all the different ways some common functions can be accomplished - for example, getting liquid out of a cup. What are these databases called and where can I find them?
posted by archagon on Jan 29, 2009 - 7 answers

How do I build a website to catalog historic documents, photographs, autographs, books and magazines out of FileMaker and AbeBooks.com HomeBase databases? [more inside]
posted by nessahead on Oct 28, 2008 - 1 answer

I have a problem joining three tables in MYSQL. [more inside]
posted by dydecker on Aug 21, 2008 - 19 answers

I need to save an Excel csv file of numbers with leading zeroes (e.g., 00987654). [more inside]
posted by archimago on Aug 20, 2008 - 8 answers

Separation filter: Where do you get your VLE diagrams, or the boiling point data used to make them? Bonus points if you have a link that will walk me through sizing (trays, diameter, height...) of a distillation column. [more inside]
posted by whatzit on Jul 7, 2008 - 1 answer

I need to import a database into MS SQL but I do not want to end up with a transaction log as large as the database. What's the best way to do the import? [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on May 29, 2008 - 4 answers

Can anyone recommend a simple open source library management system / book database which offers a searchable web front-end / OPAC and which accepts imported data without MARC records (ie CSV or tab-delimited)? [more inside]
posted by Webbreader on May 27, 2008 - 2 answers

What's the best way to keep data one way synchronized between an internal Mircosoft SQL Server database and a web facing mySQL database? [more inside]
posted by advicepig on Apr 3, 2008 - 9 answers

Does anyone know of a quick and clear guide to set up my MySQL Replication in MySQL 5.0? [more inside]
posted by kaozity on Mar 6, 2008 - 2 answers

Other than being Database Admin, what other kinds of database jobs are there? Looking to leave tech support and maybe server administration [more inside]
posted by badger11 on Mar 2, 2008 - 8 answers

How many database reads/writes are okay per web page view? Also, what is better, big tables or lots of join tables? [more inside]
posted by markovich on Nov 16, 2007 - 13 answers

Why doesn't this code from O'Reilly's PHP and MySQL work for me? [more inside]
posted by Tuwa on Jun 16, 2007 - 16 answers

Are there file dependency management systems out there? [more inside]
posted by philosophistry on May 22, 2007 - 1 answer

Stupid MySQL noob question: is there a free/free (or at least free-as-in-beer) win32 MySQL frontend that will show graphical representations of tables, allow drag-and-drop editing of their relationships, actually import all of my data, and use MySQL vocabulary and syntax for its queries? [more inside]
posted by Tuwa on Feb 18, 2007 - 13 answers

What are the best online resources for scientific data? [more inside]
posted by jonesor on Nov 30, 2006 - 13 answers

I'm looking to build a site that allows its users to submit and/or search pricing and availability information for "widgets" at local brick and mortar retail stores. The model I have in mind would be similar to the user-supported gas price sites that popped up about a year ago, in which people entered what they paid for what type of gas, and other users then could type in a zip code and see the best prices near them. So, being a non-programmer (but willing to learn through trial and error), what language/framework/open-source code do I use to build this? [more inside]
posted by pjhagop on Oct 11, 2006 - 4 answers

I find myself often having to look up several lists of names in a database. I would like to automate the process, but the problem is I'm usually given a nickname or variant on a person's full name (i.e. I'm given "Jim" and the name is "James" in the database). [more inside]
posted by zixyer on Sep 28, 2006 - 5 answers

A Web 2.0 way to collaberate with one other person on creating a bibliography/catalogue of references.... I normally use a spreadsheet for this, but the person who is helping me won't always have access to her computer or be able to load MS Excel from a remote computer. We are working to enter about 500 items in a bibliography; the info need to be sortable, both alphabetically and for some numeric values. There will probably be up to ten fields per item. I know there are some collaberative spreadsheets, like Google Spreadsheet, and that is a pretty good option for the basics. However, I would like to turn this into more than a list, and adding these features would be great: the ability to also store URLS that we've used as sources, as well as add new ones as we work. the ability to tag (and search by tags) the items we enter. even the ability to store images and sound files as entries... Does anyone know of any online tools that can do this? Or have any other suggestions?
posted by soulbarn on Aug 4, 2006 - 8 answers

I play with a rather large and multi-layered database. Using the Enter Parameter Value function, is there a way to make that Prompt box into a drop box displaying all the options? [more inside]
posted by ilikecookies on Aug 3, 2006 - 2 answers

I need help charting information in a way that's intuitive. [more inside]
posted by argybarg on Jul 31, 2006 - 14 answers

Need a tinker-free Linux/MySql install for Ruby On Rails. Also, seeking advice for getting started in RoR. [more inside]
posted by Afroblanco on Jun 27, 2006 - 19 answers

Database experts: I'm setting up a tagging system for a site I run. What's the most efficient way to go about it? [more inside]
posted by Savvas on Apr 24, 2006 - 11 answers

I'm looking for reccomendations for Linux PVR software for a security camera application. I want to be able to store a lot (limited only by hard disk space) of high resolution video from a 3 chip DV camera (which will go through a TV tuner card). So far this is rather standard, but I have the (unusual?) requirement of needing to be able to store a lot of metadata from sensors with the video. (more inside!) [more inside]
posted by phrontist on Apr 7, 2006 - 3 answers

What resources exist for non-techy social scientists who want to use relational databases to store their data, but don't know how? [more inside]
posted by jacobm on Dec 24, 2005 - 7 answers

Database filter: I have a Microsoft Access application that is split into two .mdb files for the interfaces and data. This app is distributed on a CD to be used on computers that have no internet access. When someone needs an updated dataset the backend .mdb is refreshed from a load of Oracle tables and sent on CD so that the user only needs to replace a single file. The front end links to the tables in the back end. [more inside]
posted by NsJen on Dec 12, 2005 - 10 answers

Resources for teaching myself about relational databases? [more inside]
posted by Eothele on Oct 26, 2005 - 18 answers

Many libraries offer access to resources that charge hefty fees (e.g., Nexis, Dialog, Oxford U. Press titles). [more inside]
posted by KRS on Oct 25, 2005 - 13 answers

I'm looking for access to product lists of CDs, books, movies and any other entertainment type stuff for a web application I'm working on. I'm already aware of Amazon Web Services and the Library of Congress Z39.50 Gateway. Anyone know of any other places to get data on, say, movies in theater or TV shows or less mainstream CDs, etc?
posted by frenetic on Oct 2, 2005 - 2 answers

Access 2003, ActiveState Perl, Win32::ODBC: my MEMO fields are being truncated to 255 characters when I pull them via SQL queries from a Perl script. [more inside]
posted by IshmaelGraves on May 25, 2005 - 6 answers

Is there a way to automate the task of doing a daily mySQL dump? I'm looking for something (a program perhaps) that I could automate to dump mySQL into a file and save it to my PC. [more inside]
posted by bjork24 on May 13, 2005 - 8 answers

I've undertaken some data compression research and have been looking for publicly available data sets of large integers without much success. My research is in the same general area as this paper, and I have contacted the authors but unfortunately their data is lost in the mists of time. Can anyone recommend any publicly available data sets of large integers?
posted by harmfulray on Apr 29, 2005 - 13 answers

Database Query [+] [more inside]
posted by benjh on Jan 24, 2005 - 10 answers

Do relational databases always require a static structure? [+] [more inside]
posted by lilboo on Jan 20, 2005 - 25 answers

DatabaseFilter: I've been given the task of converting a flat file into a more "grown-up" format. Trouble is, the data in each column differs wildly from record to record (ie: dates have been entered in a zillion different ways). Anyone know of any good data "massaging" tools and or practices?
posted by basicchannel on Jan 14, 2005 - 17 answers

I'm interested in learning to build a real estate portal site and/or do web work for real estate brokers (in the U.S.). This appears to involve tapping into the MLS IDX of listings for a given area. Can anyone point me to (or share) any good info on the way into this knowledge/market? (I understand web site design/servers, just want to know about the real estate IDX thingie.) Not a lot found via the Google-fu.
posted by spock on Dec 22, 2004 - 7 answers

Jacob ter Veldhuis' String Quartets, as far as I can tell, have been recorded only once. That label doesn't seem to have any current contact information. I'd like to get my hands on this, and tried a bunch of the local options here in San Francisco, including Amoeba. Is there a secret place on the internet like alibris.com for books where one can go find relatively obscure Dutch string quartets?
posted by judith on Nov 14, 2004 - 9 answers

Good book database programs. [mi] [more inside]
posted by stoneegg21 on Sep 10, 2004 - 3 answers

GlobalNetworkingFilter: There are submarine cables under the oceans which connect the continents together. Are there any compillations of cable data, either in high-res map form or maybe a text database? [mi] [more inside]
posted by b1tr0t on Sep 4, 2004 - 6 answers

I'm looking at database packages and wondering if anyone has had first-hand experience with direct interfaces for PostgreSQL, SQLite, BerkeleyDB or MySQL, either of the command-line variety or via a web-based GUI? I'm very familiar with phpMyAdmin but that's where my experience stops. How might the above compare with phpMyAdmin?

Mind you, I already understand the features/benefits/drawbacks of the databases themselves. It's the interfaces (especially web-based) that I'm interested in.
posted by fooljay on Apr 13, 2004 - 12 answers

What's the best way to export data from a SQL Server 2000 database into QuarkXPress 4.11 using ColdFusion 5? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by kirkaracha on Feb 5, 2004 - 0 answers