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For me, fixing this problem just meant reading more carefully!
I am updating some shared contacts via the Google Apps Shared Contacts API and curl. I was able to create new shared contacts with no problem, but unable to update an existing contact. The answer to the problem was to …
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For the last couple of years, I've used the Tag Suggest Thing WordPress plugin to recommend tags for my posts based on the post content. Beginning with WordPress 2.5, that plugin started to have problems interacting with the WordPress administration pages. In August 2009, Yahoo! announced that they would …
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In the early stages of an organization, it is common for most data to be stored in spreadsheets. Spreadsheet applications are common and easily understood by most small business people. Unfortunately, spreadsheets become burdensome when tasks move beyond calculations and into querying (Churcher, 2007). Fortunately, databases are designed with querying …
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Having built an entire application, the time has come to consider the possibility of redistributing the application for a wider audience. Since the original application was designed to meet the needs of a specific business, one of the primary considerations will be how the application must be modified to meet …
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The widespread use of computers has made database interaction a daily occurrence. Although databases can be large and complex, they are generally defined by basic terms that come together to create the larger system. Understanding these database basics helps users understand the underlying structure of the system and how they …
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Modern programs are not developed as singular, autonomous applications. Programmers have learned that many different programs use the same routines over and over again. By developing these routines as independent modules or libraries, programmers gain the advantage of quickly adding functionality to their programs. Modularization allows the detail of often-repeated …
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In his excellent series on WordPress Theme SEO, Nathan Rice describes a method to include META tags in WordPress themes rather than relying on plugins. Since I recently updated the Slaptijack theme to include META descriptions and keywords, I thought I would detail the process. If you are interested in …
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Decision structures (also known as selection structures) are used in programming to take an action based on the result of a question (Farrell, 2008). An if-then-else statement is the most basic kind of decision structure. The question is represented as a Boolean expression that results in a true or false …
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Referential integrity and business rules are two subjects that individuals new to database design find confusing. Relational databases use tables to represent things and events. It is often necessary for a table to refer to another table. In this case, the two tables have a relationship. Referential integrity ensures that …
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For those not acquainted with the vernacular of relational databases, many frequently used terms can be hard to grasp. These terms are often difficult to comprehend, but the concepts they describe can be illustrated in plain English. When a database administrator or developer is working with someone not fluent in …
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When planning for a new application, all organizations are faced with deciding whether to develop the application in-house or purchasing an off-the-shelf software package. Developing the application in-house has the benefit of ensuring the application is custom-fit to the organization's needs. Unfortunately, this custom-fit may result in an application that …
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Like many other kinds of businesses, a landscaping business needs a billing system.
As is often the case, billing systems require an incredible level of customization
thanks to the various intricacies of most companies' pricing structures. Designing
a billing system to fit the specific needs of an individual organization is …
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A database is a collection of files used by an organization in support of its daily operations. The files in a database are commonly called tables because their data is organized into rows and columns. Databases allow for easy storage and retrieval of the data kept within the files that …
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Before a programmer can sit down and create a new application, she must understand the nature of the problem the application is designed to solve. Programming projects often begin with a relatively simple problem. These simply stated problems often mask a much more complicated issue. Rarely do programmers create applications …
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This is a six-part introduction to database systems with a collected list of references at the end. These posts were derived from a set of papers I had to write for a business class.
