Like always I am sharing new things I learn here on my blog. I was recently working on a requirement for a LAMP stack web application reporting dashboard in which I needed to store – and eventually – retrieve a .pdf file. I have read in several places (this fantastic book is a great resource) that a viable option is storing images or documents (.pdf in this case) in the actual database table as opposed to on the server file system. MySQL has the BLOB datatype that can be used to store files such as .pdf, .jpg, .txt, and the like. In this blog post, I cover how I accomplished uploading and storing the actual .pdf file in a BLOB column in MySQL using PHP. Any corrections, tips, pointers, and recommendations for best practices are always welcome. We all learn as we go!!!
Tech
Beginning Perspective on PHP Arrays
Arrays are one of the most important PHP data types. An array is composed of 1 or more key/value pairs and can store any type (E.g., strings, integers, decimal numbers, etc…). Array values (or elements) are accessed via a key (index), which is either numerical-based or a string-based. Arrays composed of string-based indexes are known as associative arrays. Keep reading for an introductory-level coverage of PHP arrays, as I understand them…
[Keep reading for more MySQL database and Python/PHP-centric content >>>]MySQL Shell Python mode for multiple ALTER TABLE statements – easily
There may come a time you need to rename one or more columns in an existing MySQL table for a variety of reasons. Using ALTER TABLE, to rename a column is an easy enough command. But, suppose there are multiple tables in the same database/schema that have the same-named column and all of those columns need to be renamed. That could be a lot of ALTER TABLE statements to type out. Save your energy and time, avoiding all of those ALTER TABLE commands all-together. If you are lucky enough to be working with a MySQL version > 8.0 then the Shell is your salvation. With just a few lines of Python code in \py mode, all of your trouble(s) and headache(s) are no more…
MySQL EXTRACT() method for specific DATE and TIME values
Date and time values are some of the most important datatypes in an RDBMS. From tracking order dates to payroll hours, DATE and DATETIME datatypes are used in all types of applications. At times as a Developer, you may need only certain portions of a DATE or DATETIME value. In MySQL, the EXTRACT() function can provide you with a specific component of a DATE or DATETIME value depending on which INTERVAL is given as a parameter. Continue reading to see example EXTRACT() queries for understanding…
Dynamic MySQL CREATE TABLE statement with pandas and pyodbc
Have you ever had to type out a massive CREATE TABLE statement by hand? One with dozens of columns? Maybe several dozens of columns? There are likely some GUI tools to help with large CREATE TABLE commands. Or, other drag-n-drop types of software that I am not familiar with. What if you could write a few lines of Python code and take care of a huge CREATE TABLE statement with way less effort than typed manually? Interested? Continue reading and see how using pandas, pyodbc, and MySQL…