SQR Masks
It seems appropriate to talk about masks with Halloween coming. More powerful than trick-or-treat facewear, SQR masks can format numbers, analyze dates, and precisely extract characters from strings. Boo!
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Archive for October 2009
A Hierarchy Of Data Processing Solutions
Modern office processes are usually a combination of manual, semi-automated, and automated operations. SQR programmers often contribute software to these processes, but our customers don’t always tell us enough about their processes for us to make the best possible contribution. We can classify some of our work into a hierarchy of solutions.
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SQR Functions
The SQR language has several families of built-in functions. They range from minor conveniences to potential life savers. There are some surprising inclusions and surprising omissions. I discuss some of the functions I wish we had in An SQR Wish List.
Simplify
Last week I paid tribute to Elements of Style. The lesson from that book that impressed me most was to simplify my prose; minimize adjectives and adverbs; replace clichéd phrases with single words; avoid passive voice and inverted sentences; be terse and direct. I recommend the same for programming.