September 25, 2007
I Like Your Mousetrap, Really!
I’ve reflected on more than one occasion that independent consulting is a strange business. We’re neither vendor nor customer, although obviously, it’s in our best interest to be very friendly with both. It is, therefore, really problematic when an independent consultant gives opinions like “I wish customers acted like this,” or, “I wish vendors built things this way,” since the risk is that no matter what is said, it might be...
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 08:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 05, 2007
XML Reporting in SQL*LIMS
For several years my boss, Brian, has been telling me that the perfect solution for a LIMS Certificate of Analysis report would use a solid data extraction algorithm and a flexible XML output. The idea has always sounded interesting to me, except for the fact that the SQL*LIMS product doesn’t include the technology to do such a thing…until now. Today’s article describes how...
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 10:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 09, 2006
Oracle Technology Day 2005
A day off work is always welcome – especially when it comes under the guise of "professional training."
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 04:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 02, 2005
How to create an FTP Interface in SQL*LIMS
I've demonstrated the creation of two types of custom interfaces in SQL*LIMS version 4.1: email and memo. The final interface type I'd like to demonstrate is FTP. First, let me qualify that I don't believe the creation of a custom FTP interface using PL/SQL is the best solution. However, I can certainly see advantages and simplicity in transferring data directly from a programmatic procedure without needing to write it to the sending...
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 09:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 20, 2005
The "S" Reality
Good consulting is based on good decision-making. Good decision-making is supported by knowledge, experience, and the quality ideal. Because I have a particular interest in the formation and expression of quality, I was fascinated by a certain book I am reading about the "S" reality.
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 07:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 12, 2005
How to create a Memo Interface in SQL*LIMS
In my last article, I demonstrated how to create an email interface in SQL*LIMS version 4.1. Such an interface provides robust functionality but there is a catch: using email for CFR 11-related communication is difficult to validate, and in many companies, may function as the sole method of notification. To get around these concerns, SQL*LIMS offers the memo, which is an application-specific notification stored in the Oracle database....
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 03:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
September 17, 2005
How to create an Email Interface in SQL*LIMS
In SQL*LIMS, a PL/SQL package can be installed as an event and attached as a status action in any template or instance object level. This offers the LIMS developer a robust environment in which to execute a wide variety of custom actions. For example, most versions of SQL*LIMS come with an example PL/SQL procedure for executing cross-task calculations. However, in order to make this example code robust enough for regular use, a developer...
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 09:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 16, 2005
J & R Productivity Tips
In an effort to discover the most productive methods of work, I asked every consultant at J&R Consulting, Inc. the same question, "What productivity habits do you use regularly?"
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 11:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 24, 2005
J & R Technical Tips
As you may know, J&R Consulting, Inc. is a group of intelligent and hard-working technologists and pedagogues dedicated to reliably directing and completing Herculean tasks with aplomb. (Picture here the author smirking: a futile attempt at humor.) "How," you might wonder, "does a group of people spread all over the eastern U.S. accomplish such a thing?" I have wondered the same on more than one occasion. (I assure you...
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 07:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 20, 2005
Why Structure?
Did you know that all J&R consultants write PL/SQL code identically? In fact, new employees are told to mimic the style of any other senior consultant. I remember once asking a java developer from another company to use a specific standard for object and variable nomenclature. You would have thought I asked him to slap his mother. But this article isn’t just about coding, it’s about implementing structure in general....
Posted by Jeff Vannest at 12:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
