[AccessD] On DB Bloat, Bad DB Design, and various

DWUTKA at marlow.com wrote On 5/27/2004 9:25 AM:

>Yes, I just had to increase a field size, which only took about an hour and
>a half to do. (Why?  Because the original 'size limit' was set in Access.
>The system was then ported to SQL Server.  The original size limit of 35
>characters (for a field to describe the exact location where an accident
>occurred) was ported into SQL server also.  The IT department at the company
>running this thing refused to make the change in field size (long story, not
>really the IT departments fault, they were banned from messing with the
>project, for a while).  So I had a little web based 'interface' to the SQL
>Server.  Unfortunately, it didn't allow for actual field 'changes'.  I could
>'add' and 'delete' fields.  So I had to make a temp field, run an update
>query to transfer the data into the temp field.  delete the old field, make
>a new field with same name, and longer field size, update the data back into
>the original field, and then delete the old field.  With the amount of data
>involved, and the delays in doing it through the 'web interface', it took
>about an hour and a half (though I admit was fixing two fields, but it would
>have taken just about as long for just that one).
>
>So in the end, you're right, it was an easy fix, because I got $150 for
>fixing it.  No sweat off of my back, because I got paid to fix it.
>
>However, an interesting twist to this incident, that $150 was out of pocket
>for the original developer, NOT the client.  
>
WOW way to burn time... you obviously didn't have the right tools for 
the job, because if you can ADD and you can DELETE a field, then you can 
ALTER... and it takes no more than a few minutes, that's w/ the time it 
takes to find the field and either write up the command or use a gui 
interface to do it all... 2 fields, that's nothing, you were just using 
a hammer....

<snip>

>Now think about that, is setting a field size limit to something close to
>where you think your client won't exceed worth $150 a pop?
>  
>
No it's not, and you ripped off your client.  Sorry, but unless that's what you charged for just showing up, that's a rip.
-- 
-Francisco