Skip to main content

CST 363 - Week 4

This week involved a lot of work finishing up our group project, completing the exam, and brushing up on our SQL skills before the final exam.

 I had to learn much about OLAP queries, the type of user that would require them, and how to implement them into our existing project database this week. An OLAP approach to database queries is directly related to business intelligence and other types of metrics-based intelligence, so it was important to understand OLAP principles in order to incorporate them into our project. 

 Additionally, I also learned about how to effectively refactor/redesign a database using a star schema, and when it is most effective. Our artists and records database is a perfect example of an application that can utilize a star schema well because it is an internal application that benefits from simplified queries (who was the best selling artist of the year?) and fast aggregations. Data integrity is an issue, but it is not quite as serious as if the app was used by external customers. 

 It was a tough and long week with a lot of work, and I still feel like I am a novice at SQL, but I am looking forward to the next few weeks of the class and hopefully finishing it on a high note.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CST 300 - Week 4

Educational Goals My current educational goals are to finish my bachelor's degree in computer science while also gaining a deep understanding of the fundamentals along the way. I have always believed that a solid understanding of the fundamentals goes a long way in any skill since you always refer back to them. When I have gotten stuck on a problem or some skill in the past, I have always taken a step back, broken down things into smaller pieces and remembered my fundamentals, and doing so has helped me through a lot of academic and professional work so far. Although I already know basic programming and data structures, I want to learn more about them and discover new ways of thinking in order to solve complex problems.  Career Goals I started a career as a full-time software test analyst about two months ago. Even though my job doesn't involve a lot of programming, getting a degree in computer science would be really helpful in all aspects of my career, such as identif
3 comments
Read more

The Final Journal

It's the end of a long, four year journey, and what a journey it has been. I never thought I could pull off finishing my second bachelor's degree four years ago when I first went to that introduction to programming class at my community college. I would like to thank all the friends I've made along the way and the people who have helped me through the last two years. Although it was difficult at times taking class while working 40+ hours a week, I'm proud of myself for making it through. I don't think I'll be a student enrolled in classes anytime soon, but I'll always be a lifelong student. See you all around.
Post a Comment
Read more

CST 499 - Week 6

This week, our group made the last touches to CONVEE, our AAC application for our capstone project, and then we proceeded to record and publish the (first) draft of our video (if it's approved, it'll be the last draft). I'm very proud of the three of us and what we have accomplished a little over eight weeks. It's been rewarding to watch our application grow from the initial planning stages to what it is now. Abby plans to take over CONVEE after capstone and expand on it further, and I'm positive she'll do great things with it in the future. I might still help out with development and other related stuff once in a while. I also took the ETS Computer Science Field Test, which was a very disappointing experience. First, the test is too wide in scope, and it is littered with questions about specific niche topics not always taught in classes. Second, setting up the testing application was slow and awkward, and I had to wait 30 minutes for the proctor to set everythi
Post a Comment
Read more