SQL 2005 & Programming Languages

[Catadmin]

Hey,

The more I delve into the changes of SQL with the new 2k5 addition, the more convinced I become that plain-vanilla Developers and Database Administrators are merging job functions into a sort of Super DBA-Developer type of career / job role.

The reason I say this is the emphasis 2k5 is putting on CRLs like Visual Basic .Net, Managed C++ and C#. It seems that C# is the "wave of the DBA future", with VB .Net only a step behind it. Don't get me wrong. I still see T-SQL programming skills as being required, but now it just feels like us one-language DBAs need to go out and add a few more to our skill set in order to remain current and attractive to our employeers.

Does anyone else feel this way? Has anyone who has moved to 2k5 (or is about to) gone out and started learning any of the above languages? Has it been your experience that you can't do the normal DBA jobs without C# or VB .Net? Or have you been able to get along fine without any knowledge of them at all?

Thanks in advance for the input!



Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"The only stupid question is the one that *wasn't* asked.

 

[SQLDenis]

Well if you don't use CLR or SSIS you don't need C#

IBM has a CLR enabled DB(DB2)
Oracle has Java built in
In SQL 2000 you had to know VB (ActiveX task/DTS)

I think this is actually a good thing since you can use the CLR to built functions that are much faster in the CLR than in plain vanilla SQL
If you know Java or C++, you should't have a problem picking up C#, the .Net framework is another story of course. A lot of practice and you should be fine
Who wants to go back building extended stored procedure, not me.


If you are just a DBA you should be able to stay away from C#



Denis The SQL Menace
SQL blog:

http://sqlservercode.blogspot.com/

Personal Blog:

http://otherthingsnow.blogspot.com/

 

[Catadmin]

Well, that's just it. Extended stored procedures are depreciated in 2k5 and we will be using SSIS and the situation is this:

My boss is currently setting up training for the whole department, but he refuses to believe a "mere" dba could find any use for C#, so he won't include me in the list of people who need to learn the language. Hence, I am doing side-research to find out how integral the other languages are to doing DBA work and to document legimate business reasons why I need to learn C# and why the company should pay for it instead of it coming out of my own pocket.

So, anyone have any ideas of how I could present this?





Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"The only stupid question is the one that *wasn't* asked.

 

[SQLDenis]

Well explain to him that if you have to support any SSIS packages and/or CLR UDF's then you will have to learn the language
Also your department should standardize on 1 language just for that sole reason

Denis The SQL Menace
SQL blog:

http://sqlservercode.blogspot.com/

Personal Blog:

http://otherthingsnow.blogspot.com/