I’m looking at writing integration tests for the back end of JavaRanch‘s JForum install. A few “pesky” requirements/constraints Multiple developers all over the word have their own local test databases filled with data in different states.  The tests must work for everyone.  Ideally they won’t leave data floating around either. The tests must use PostgreSQL.  [...]

When people ask me how to learn to use a database or how to write SQL queries, I tell them to pick a database system and immerse themselves in it. In fact that advice goes for a lot of software technologies: just immerse yourself in a language, as programming tutorials are easy to come by [...]

In Part 1 of The Joy of Null I discussed a variety of ways null-equivalent values make it into the software design. Often times, developer laziness or immutability of the database tier drives many developers to insert values that simulate null values, rather than using a database null itself. In this second half, I’ll talk [...]