Previously on the blog. Multiple partitions. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2016/01/18/multiple-partitions

Vectorised my entire photo library on the home NAS with a model that supports images and text, and now I can find pics much easier with SQL :-) With probably throw a little APEX app on top. #26ai

"We'll make a cut here" "Peel back the layer here" "Clamp down the tissue there" "Add some stitches internally" are all phrases I did not care for, but still received at the eye exam today :-(

At the eye doc, first appt of the day immediately on clinic opening... ...then I discover there are 10 people in the waiting room, all with the "first" appt of the day 😡 Irks me when certain professions just implicitly assume their time is vastly more important than yours

You can vibe code your way to a working prototype. You cannot vibe code or one-shot your way to a competitive product that works at scale. The hard part isn't writing code; it's the architectural supervision.

Exciting news, Oracle AI Database 26ai Container image now available container-registry.oracle.com @oracleace.bsky.social #ACED #oracle #26ai

From the vault. The simple fix to date queries. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2016/09/22/the-simple-fix-to-date-queries

Fresh to Oracle? Here's a couple of quick 2min vids to get you up and running with Oracle Database 26ai 1) Getting the software installed from zip 2) Creating your first db www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUgc... www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvAI...

Time to refactor those database link scripts :-) connor-mcdonald.com/2026/01/29/2...

Blog greatest hits :-) . ORDS upgrades are so easy. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2023/01/10/ords-upgrades-are-so-easy/

Yup, I'm back again talking about not relying on implicit datatype conversions 😀. Read this before upgrading to 26ai, especially for APEX. connor-mcdonald.com/2026/01/28/d...

Want to see what SQL your users and apps are running in real time? Now you can do it with the new SQL history feature. #26ai youtu.be/mEzhE7WyK0s

It's here 🥳🤩🤜🥂🔥

From the vault. Add ORDER BY to make ANY query faster. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2018/11/07/add-order-by-to-make-any-query-faster

So a FB friend posted to me "Happy Birthday" which was nice ... but followed up with: "I don't know your age but you definitely need to take vitamin A and E daily for eye health. Also more carrot and beetroot in salad, and you probably should eat more fish - rich with omega 3" I feel violated🙂

🍺🚀 Oracle Beer Meetup – Bern Join us for an on-site session on Oracle Database 26ai for Devs with @connormcd.bsky.social on Mar 23 at Denkbar by Edorex. Tech talk + beers + great people. 🍻 👉 RSVP: meetup.com/oracle-beer/... @oracleace #Meetup #Oracle26ai

🚀Get ready for Oracle 26ai at the next #OracleBeerBern on February 12!✨

Blast from the past. A 12.2 treat for the festive season. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2016/12/22/a-12-2-treat-for-the-festive-season

Retro blog post. From stateful to stateless PL/SQL. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2022/11/09/from-stateful-to-stateless-pl-sql/

Previously on the blog. Extending in-lists. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2019/09/09/extending-in-lists

Two women trained as first responders were abducted by three ICE agents. One of the agents starts seizing. The other two don’t know what to do. The women jump into action and save the agent’s life, only to be re-handcuffed and processed. www.startribune.com/detained-by-...

Previously on the blog. Using ROWID for efficient parallel execution. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2023/10/16/using-rowid-for-efficient-parallel-execution/

Minimising the work required to migrate to Boolean in 26ai connor-mcdonald.com/2026/01/23/t...

LEAD(x) IGNORE NULLS OVER(ORDER BY n) Not very often, but when I need IGNORE NULLS, then I really miss it in PostgreSQL. modern-sql.com/caniuse/T616

Previously on the blog. Get the HINT. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2024/12/16/kris-kringle-the-database-get-the-hint/

An all too common example from the database arena: - Have multiple copies of your data - Add a replication system keep them in sync - Have a conflict resolution system to sort out errors - Add a monitoring solution to monitor it all. 99% of the time, just 1 copy of your data would have been fine.

OMG ... I can't believe it. It is really gonna happen! #ComingSoon

The meeting reminder that I set for my webinar I have to looks like this in Outlook: "5am webinar....." So I'm sitting here all ready to go, and since 4:45 just rolled by, the full popup just appeared: "5am Webinar .... Don't forget to set alarm for TOMORROW" #FML 😂

Blog greatest hits :-) . FOLLOWS clause. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2016/03/02/follows-clause

Early Bird tickets for APEX World 2026 are available now! APEX World 2026 offers a rich experience with workshops, keynotes, networking opportunities, and much more. Engage with experts and peers worldwide. Visit nloug.nl/en/events/ap... to purchase your ticket. #orclAPEX #AW26

Previously on the blog. Blockchain tables are here in 19c!. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2021/02/03/blockchain-tables-are-here-in-19c/

Gives me goosebumps every time

Blast from the past. Expanded TYPE definitions for PL/SQL 21c. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2021/02/09/expanded-type-definitions-for-pl-sql-21c/

Blog greatest hits :-) . Compression default settings. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2020/10/02/compression-default-settings/

Previously on the blog. Is fragmentation still a dirty word?. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2023/05/21/is-fragmentation-still-a-dirty-word/

All I need is a browser .... uh huh ....and a sh*tload of RAM :-(

Big news this week, we have crossed the 1000-member line! Congratulations to all ACEs for being part of this amazing community!

From the vault. JDBC, the FetchSize and staying up to date. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2025/01/17/jdbc-the-fetchsize-and-staying-up-to-date/

Your chance: Full-day Upgrade to 26ai Workshop in Sydney on Jan 20, 2025 Happy New Year to all of you at first. And just at very short notice a quick announcement for next week in case you are in the Sydney area in Australia. This is Your chance: Full-day Upgrade to 26ai Workshop in Sydney on Jan…

From the vault. Cloning a table without CTAS. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2018/01/12/clone-a-table/

We're back with AskTOM Live in 2026! See you shortly! asktom.oracle.com/ords/asktom....

From the vault. APEX demos Formula 1 Racing Data ?. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2021/11/05/apex-demos-formula-1-racing-data/

When it comes to simplifying JOIN syntax, and being able to take a human step-to-step approach to the set based theories of relational databases, the LATERAL join is making so many queries easier to compose and run. youtu.be/tPVfJrxXSpI

From the vault. SAMPLE costing. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2016/01/27/sample-costing

Op dit moment kunnen bedrijven zich als sponsor aanmelden voor APEX World 2026. Bent u geïnteresseerd in wat de opties zijn voor u of uw organisatie? Neem contact op met de nlOUG via [email protected] voor meer informatie over onze sponsormogelijkheden! #APEXWorld2026 #orclAPEX #sponsors

Blog greatest hits :-) . ChatGPT versus India. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2023/08/01/chatgpt-versus-india/

Blog greatest hits :-) . Complex materialized views and fast refresh. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2018/07/05/complex-materialized-views-and-fast-refresh/

Previously on the blog. Get the SQL_ID for a SQL statement BEFORE you run it. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2021/10/04/get-the-sql_id-for-a-sql-statement-before-you-run-it/

Just read a study on database skills for healthcare pros - SQL fluency ranked #1! Proper DB design literally saves lives while poor modelling creates medical errors. After fixing countless database nightmares, this resonates deeply. What tech skill is most underrated? DM me your thoughts!

Previously on the blog. Counting business days between 2 dates. https://connor-mcdonald.com/2021/02/08/counting-business-days-between-2-dates/