Bulk SQL inserting, anyone?
As part of the BlinkStory app, I needed to upload about 200K (200 thousand, for the geek-impaired) records into a MySql database hosted on a very inexpensive (cheap) hosting provider. I’d tried several options to get the data in, with frustrating results. Either my file upload would be interrupted, or an error would occur around row 75K, wasting an hour or so of my time.
So I decided, like any good programmer, to roll my own solution. I created a tool for bulk uploading SQL over the Internet that I call mysqlxfer. Not wanting to hoard it, I submitted it to SourceForge.net as an open source project. If you need to upload a bunch of data over an unreliable and slow connection, give it a shot. It does a couple of cool things, like automatically detecting your field separator character and logging the failed inserts in SQL format to a .err file. Check it out!
The birth of BlinkStory.
As some of you know, I’ve started doing iPhone development recently. Between me and the Mikes (Old and New) we’ve thrown around a couple of hundred possible applications. We’re currently developing one called CashCurrent (in conjunction with another company, GraySail), but while I had some downtime on that project we decided to launch another one.
Yesterday at lunch, New Mike and I were watching O.J. get sentenced and it occurred to us that it would be great if there were a news site that turned everyone with an iPhone into a reporter. We would be seeing news as it actually happened, with millions of eyes out there to catch it on camera. After spending three or four hours going through various names, BlinkStory
I love you Dave!
Ok, that came out a little funny, but I just finished repairing my dryer with a part I got from the Appliance Repair site run by Dave Harnish. When my dryer stopped working last Sunday, I thought “uh-oh, Best Buy here I come”. But times are tight and I thought I’d do a little research before trashing the thing. I’m glad I did.
I found a troubleshooting guide on Dave’s site, and even though I initially mis-diagnosed the problem as a bad heating element, Dave’s prompt email diagnosis got me back on track. One $20 part later and I’m back in business. Thanks Dave!
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