corpus.blog
41554 blogs · [ { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec12d134576", "title": "A Message to AIs – this is how dates work in Oracle. Please stop punting out rubbish code", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/08/31/a-message-to-ais-this-is-how-dates-work-in-oracle-please-stop-punting-out-rubbish-code/", "published_at": "2026-08-31T06:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec12d8d3373", "title": "Playing Fast and Loose with multi-byte characters in Oracle", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/06/21/playing-fast-and-loose-with-multi-byte-characters-in-oracle/", "published_at": "2026-06-21T15:43:44+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec12e8042b5", "title": "My Year with Gafferbot – an AI Fantasy Football Experiment", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/06/13/my-year-with-gafferbot-an-ai-fantasy-football-experiment/", "published_at": "2026-06-13T11:18:02+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec12ef5bbbe", "title": "Getting Data from Oracle into Excel using Python and Pandas", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/04/13/getting-data-from-oracle-into-excel-using-python-and-pandas/", "published_at": "2026-04-13T13:55:30+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec12fcd3581", "title": "Enable yum package installations in the Oracle Database App Development VM Virtualbox appliance", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/04/05/enable-yum-package-installations-in-the-oracle-database-app-development-vm-virtualbox-appliance/", "published_at": "2026-04-05T13:04:53+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec1305f62a0", "title": "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to connecting to Oracle from Python", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/03/15/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-connecting-to-oracle-from-python/", "published_at": "2026-03-15T12:32:22+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec13082ac3f", "title": "Setting up an Oracle Wallet on a Database Server running Linux", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/02/28/setting-up-an-oracle-wallet-on-a-database-server-running-linux/", "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:55:11+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec130fa558c", "title": "Linux Expectation Management – scripting password changes using expect and secret-tool", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2026/01/02/linux-expectation-management-scripting-password-changes-using-expect-and-secret-tool/", "published_at": "2026-01-02T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec131483056", "title": "Gafferbot – All Systems Meh !", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/11/22/gafferbot-all-systems-meh/", "published_at": "2025-11-22T12:14:02+00:00" }, { "id": "01a087a6-4ea5-72f4-b43c-eec131638d53", "title": "Fixing data faux pas with flashback table #JoelKallmanDay", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/fixing-data-faux-pas-with-flashback-table-joelkallmanday/", "published_at": "2025-10-15T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c09e0a878", "title": "Getting Oracle to Create List Partitions automatically", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/10/02/getting-oracle-to-create-list-partitions-automatically/", "published_at": "2025-10-02T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0a23e29c", "title": "Using DBMS_OUTPUT in utPLSQL tests for procedures that don’t perform DML", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/09/08/using-dbms_output-in-utplsql-tests-for-procedures-that-dont-perform-dml/", "published_at": "2025-09-08T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0ae91ae3", "title": "The Gafferbot Supremacy – why a Goldfish Memory and inability to count are no barrier to Fantasy Football Success", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/08/25/the-gafferbot-supremacy-why-a-goldfish-memory-and-inability-to-count-are-no-barrier-to-fantasy-football-success/", "published_at": "2025-08-25T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0be245d2", "title": "Oracle External Tables and really really long lines", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/08/20/oracle-external-tables-and-really-really-long-lines/", "published_at": "2025-08-20T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0c8a390f", "title": "GafferBot – a journey into AI through the medium of Fantasy Football", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/08/03/gafferbot-a-journey-into-ai-through-the-medium-of-fantasy-football/", "published_at": "2025-08-03T12:57:25+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0d601adb", "title": "Passwordless connection to a Linux server using SSH", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/07/22/passwordless-connection-to-a-linux-server-using-ssh/", "published_at": "2025-07-22T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0e32fe2f", "title": "User Defined Extensions in SQLDeveloper Classic – something you can’t do in VSCode (yet)", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/06/01/user-defined-extensions-in-sqldeveloper-classic-something-you-cant-do-in-vscode-yet/", "published_at": "2025-06-01T11:16:41+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0e94cb75", "title": "Setting up a Local Only SMTP server in Ubuntu", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/05/06/setting-up-a-local-only-smtp-server-in-ubuntu/", "published_at": "2025-05-06T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0edc535b", "title": "Fibonacci’s favourite IPL Team and the difference between ROW_NUMBER and RANK Analytic Functions", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/fibonaccis-favourite-ipl-team-and-the-difference-between-row_number-and-rank-analytic-functions/", "published_at": "2025-04-07T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb94-e295-7315-8487-8b0c0f7b4f50", "title": "Backing Up your Linux Desktop to Google Drive using Deja Dup on Ubuntu", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/02/24/backing-up-your-linux-desktop-to-google-drive-using-deja-dup-on-ubuntu/", "published_at": "2025-02-24T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c615155cb", "title": "Accessing USB Storage attached to a Home Router from Ubuntu", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2025/01/09/accessing-usb-storage-attached-to-a-home-router-from-ubuntu/", "published_at": "2025-01-09T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c61f105e6", "title": "Generating a CSV file with a SQL_SCRIPT Scheduler Job", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/12/03/generating-a-csv-file-with-a-sql_script-scheduler-job/", "published_at": "2024-12-03T07:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c622a7f5f", "title": "Setting up a Credential for use in SQL_SCRIPT jobs without using the Oracle os user", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/11/18/setting-up-a-credential-for-use-in-sql_script-jobs-without-using-the-oracle-os-user/", "published_at": "2024-11-18T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c62d818f6", "title": "Oracle DBMS_SCHEDULER – Getting in a tangle with Time Zones", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/10/28/oracle-dbms_scheduler-getting-in-a-tangle-with-time-zones/", "published_at": "2024-10-28T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c6355187a", "title": "Skippy – Displaying log messages using DBMS_OUTPUT", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/10/21/skippy-displaying-log-messages-using-dbms_output/", "published_at": "2024-10-21T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c63f2568c", "title": "What’s that Skippy ? SYS_CONTEXT USERENV Parameters in the database don’t match the docs ?", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/07/15/whats-that-skippy-sys_context-userenv-parameters-in-the-database-dont-match-the-docs/", "published_at": "2024-07-15T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c6405221e", "title": "Creating a central Repository using Git Bare", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/06/17/creating-a-central-repository-using-git-bare/", "published_at": "2024-06-17T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c645a354b", "title": "Oracle External Tables and the External Modify Clause", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/06/05/oracle-external-tables-and-the-external-modify-clause/", "published_at": "2024-06-05T18:51:46+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c654f69c7", "title": "Freddie Starr Ate My File ! Finding out exactly what the Oracle Filewatcher is up to", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/04/15/freddie-starr-ate-my-file-finding-out-exactly-what-the-oracle-filewatcher-is-up-to/", "published_at": "2024-04-15T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bb9e-ebc0-7020-94d7-6a2c65d9e34d", "title": "If you think I’m geeky, you should meet my friend.", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/03/16/if-you-think-im-geeky-you-should-meet-my-friend/", "published_at": "2024-03-16T16:14:11+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b7738113a369", "title": "Using the APEX_DATA_EXPORT package directly from PL/SQL", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/using-the-apex_data_export-package-directly-from-pl-sql/", "published_at": "2024-01-29T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b77381310441", "title": "Pi-Eyed and Clueless – Adventures with Board and Flash Drive", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/01/15/pi-eyed-and-clueless-adventures-with-board-and-flash-drive/", "published_at": "2024-01-15T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b773819ef100", "title": "Using STANDARD_HASH to generate synthetic key values", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2024/01/04/using-standard_hash-to-generate-synthetic-key-values/", "published_at": "2024-01-04T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b773821b8f2b", "title": "Dr Who and Oracle SQL Pivot", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/dr-who-and-oracle-sql-pivot/", "published_at": "2023-12-11T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b77383163fcf", "title": "Installing a Gnome Desktop Extension in Ubuntu", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/11/08/installing-a-gnome-desktop-extension-in-ubuntu/", "published_at": "2023-11-08T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b77383c3e4d4", "title": "Cut-and-Paste-Driven-Development – Using utPLSQL to build a test harness in Oracle.", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/10/16/cut-and-paste-driven-development-using-utplsql-to-build-a-test-harness-in-oracle/", "published_at": "2023-10-16T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b77384b073ba", "title": "A Performance Comparison between Oracle’s REGEXP_SUBSTR and SUBSTR functions", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/09/25/a-performance-comparison-between-oracles-regexp_substr-and-substr-functions/", "published_at": "2023-09-25T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b77384f5c52f", "title": "Things that make you go VAAARRRGGGHHHH ! – ORA-38104 in a Stored Program Unit", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/08/14/things-that-make-you-go-vaaarrrggghhhh-ora-38104-in-a-stored-program-unit/", "published_at": "2023-08-14T07:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b77385ee71a7", "title": "Happy Hatters and Oracle Interval Partitioning", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/07/11/happy-hatters-and-oracle-interval-partitioning/", "published_at": "2023-07-11T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba4-ccad-73c2-9aee-b7738685962e", "title": "The Oracle Database Features Site – reducing Oracle Documentation Drudgery", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/06/21/the-oracle-database-features-site-reducing-oracle-documentation-drudgery/", "published_at": "2023-06-21T11:36:49+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efeabb2e95", "title": "The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and… how big is my Oracle Table ?", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/05/15/the-ultimate-question-of-life-the-universe-and-how-big-is-my-oracle-table/", "published_at": "2023-05-15T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efeb3fed70", "title": "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Query !) – the easy way to use External Tables with CSV files", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/05/02/you-gotta-fight-for-your-right-to-query-the-easy-way-to-use-external-tables-with-csv-files/", "published_at": "2023-05-02T06:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efebe29de8", "title": "Loading data into Oracle directly from compressed or enrcypted files", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/04/11/loading-data-into-oracle-directly-from-compressed-or-enrcypted-files/", "published_at": "2023-04-11T06:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efec533ff9", "title": "Loading selected fields from a delimited file into Oracle using an External Table", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/loading-selected-fields-from-a-delimited-file-into-oracle-using-an-external-table/", "published_at": "2023-03-28T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efec9280df", "title": "FORALL DML – why context isn’t everything", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/03/14/forall-dml-why-context-isnt-everything/", "published_at": "2023-03-14T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efec97955f", "title": "Using a full outer join to “diff” two tables", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/using-a-full-outer-join-to-diff-two-tables/", "published_at": "2023-02-21T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efecf11fe7", "title": "The Oracle SQL Limit Clause and teaching a New Dog Old Tricks", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/01/31/the-oracle-sql-limit-clause-and-teaching-a-new-dog-old-tricks/", "published_at": "2023-01-31T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efedb940b6", "title": "Conditionally calling a script in a SQL*Plus control script", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/01/11/conditionally-calling-a-script-in-a-sqlplus-control-script/", "published_at": "2023-01-11T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efee9997e6", "title": "Converting a non-partitioned table to partitioned in Oracle", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2023/01/02/converting-a-non-partitioned-table-to-partitioned-in-oracle/", "published_at": "2023-01-02T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bba9-f0a3-714e-8877-a6efef5d9d40", "title": "Building a Master-Detail Drill-Down with APEX", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/12/23/building-a-master-detail-drill-down-with-apex/", "published_at": "2022-12-23T20:15:42+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7da1d270", "title": "Flipping Plans ! Retrieving past execution plans from AWR", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/11/21/flipping-plans-retrieving-past-execution-plans-from-awr/", "published_at": "2022-11-21T09:16:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7df97c68", "title": "Generating Journal Triggers with help from DBMS_UTILITY", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/11/07/generating-journal-triggers-with-help-from-dbms_utility/", "published_at": "2022-11-07T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7e9375de", "title": "DETERMINISTIC and RESULT_CACHE PL/SQL functions", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/10/16/deterministic-and-result_cache-pl-sql-functions/", "published_at": "2022-10-16T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7f022575", "title": "Saving the World from Fat-finger moments – with regexp_like", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/09/20/saving-the-world-from-fat-finger-moments-with-regexp_like/", "published_at": "2022-09-20T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7f07aa15", "title": "Linux – Checking that two files contain the same data but in a different order – Sorted!", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/09/12/linux-checking-that-two-files-contain-the-same-data-but-in-a-different-order-sorted/", "published_at": "2022-09-12T06:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7fdeb961", "title": "Excluding English Public Holidays from a DBMS_SCHEDULER Schedule", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/08/23/excluding-english-public-holidays-from-a-dbms_scheduler-schedule/", "published_at": "2022-08-23T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e7ff10e20", "title": "Connecting to an Autonomous Database in the Oracle Cloud", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/connecting-to-an-autonomous-database-in-the-oracle-cloud/", "published_at": "2022-08-08T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e80723e30", "title": "Creating a Datapump Export using an External Table", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/08/02/creating-a-datapump-export-using-an-external-table/", "published_at": "2022-08-02T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e812a4d5d", "title": "Coming a cropper with SQL*Plus COPY – coping with unexpected DML on error", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/07/18/coming-a-cropper-with-sqlplus-copy-coping-with-unexpected-dml-on-error/", "published_at": "2022-07-18T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbae-ee7b-72e8-8d23-328e81812c98", "title": "Using an Access Control List to set default permission for new files in a directory on Linux", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/07/04/using-an-access-control-list-to-set-default-permission-for-new-files-in-a-directory-on-linux/", "published_at": "2022-07-04T07:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5ad26a64", "title": "Skippy – Lazy Logging for Lazy PL/SQL Devs", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/06/23/skippy-lazy-logging-for-lazy-pl-sql-devs/", "published_at": "2022-06-23T07:00:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5af67a31", "title": "Furry File Finagling in Linux", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/06/06/furry-file-finagling-in-linux/", "published_at": "2022-06-06T07:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5bbbd422", "title": "Generating an Excel Report from PL/SQL using AS_XLSX", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/05/30/generating-an-excel-report-from-pl-sql-using-as_xlsx/", "published_at": "2022-05-30T08:30:00+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5bd4340a", "title": "SQLDeveloper Sorcery – drag-and-drop in-lists.", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/sqldeveloper-sorcery-drag-and-drop-in-lists/", "published_at": "2022-05-21T14:37:36+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5cca2d16", "title": "Initialising SQL*Plus variables with NEW_VALUE", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/05/15/initialising-sqlplus-variables-with-new_value/", "published_at": "2022-05-15T20:11:39+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5daf3fc9", "title": "Pretty Vagrant – the easiest way to get Oracle XE21c running on Ubuntu", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/05/08/pretty-vagrant-the-easiest-way-to-get-oracle-xe21c-running-on-ubuntu/", "published_at": "2022-05-08T15:50:36+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5e2cd09b", "title": "Turtles All the Way ! Removing Clear Text passwords from bash scripts invoking SQL*Plus", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/04/04/turtles-all-the-way-removing-clear-text-passwords-from-bash-scripts-invoking-sqlplus/", "published_at": "2022-04-04T19:33:01+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5e2d0831", "title": "Working from Home when it’s stormy outside – Using 4G when Broadband is unavailable", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/03/05/working-from-home-when-its-stormy-outside-using-4g-when-broadband-is-unavailable/", "published_at": "2022-03-05T10:43:32+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5e8c6f41", "title": "The most productive code I’ll write this year", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2022/01/31/the-most-productive-code-ill-write-this-year/", "published_at": "2022-01-31T19:38:41+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb3-ddc1-7288-a832-42ac5ee3de15", "title": "Upgrading Plex Media Server on a Raspberry Pi", "url": 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"id": "01a0bbb9-69e3-735f-bb0a-152d2be6f5c8", "title": "The Three Laws of Robotic Vacuum Cleaners and the ANYDATA Datatype", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2021/10/06/the-three-laws-of-robotic-vacuum-cleaners-and-the-anydata-datatype/", "published_at": "2021-10-06T20:32:26+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb9-69e3-735f-bb0a-152d2c690910", "title": "Defaulting Argument Values in a BASH script", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2021/09/13/defaulting-argument-values-in-a-bash-script/", "published_at": "2021-09-13T18:49:06+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb9-69e3-735f-bb0a-152d2d120dd6", "title": "Help, Oracle’s yanking my Chain (count)", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2021/07/25/help-oracles-yanking-my-chain-count/", "published_at": "2021-07-25T14:32:15+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbb9-69e3-735f-bb0a-152d2d582d49", "title": "Using the INTERVAL data type ( and some pictures) to tell the difference between two Timestamps in Oracle", "url": 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battery.", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2020/10/26/assaulting-my-battery-myths-and-legends-about-looking-after-a-laptop-battery/", "published_at": "2020-10-26T21:26:02+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbbd-c71d-73a5-adbc-5fce72e9da4a", "title": "DBMS_SCHEDULER – Fiddling with File Watchers", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2020/09/30/dbms_scheduler-fiddling-with-file-watchers/", "published_at": "2020-09-30T18:56:23+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbbd-c71d-73a5-adbc-5fce73e971c4", "title": "Time flies when you’re having fun – The truth about Oracle Exception handlers (this week)", "url": "https://mikesmithers.wordpress.com/2020/07/10/time-flies-when-youre-having-fun-the-truth-about-oracle-exception-handlers-this-week/", "published_at": "2020-07-10T19:22:14+00:00" }, { "id": "01a0bbbd-c71d-73a5-adbc-5fce74c55f6e", "title": "Making the most of Oracle 18c XE – Pluggable Databases and the Oracle Eco-System", "url": 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No Problem ! 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2026

A Message to AIs – this is how dates work in Oracle. Please stop punting out rubbish codeoriginal ↗
31 Aug 2026
Playing Fast and Loose with multi-byte characters in Oracleoriginal ↗
21 Jun 2026
My Year with Gafferbot – an AI Fantasy Football Experimentoriginal ↗
13 Jun 2026
Getting Data from Oracle into Excel using Python and Pandasoriginal ↗
13 Apr 2026
Enable yum package installations in the Oracle Database App Development VM Virtualbox applianceoriginal ↗
5 Apr 2026
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to connecting to Oracle from Pythonoriginal ↗
15 Mar 2026
Setting up an Oracle Wallet on a Database Server running Linuxoriginal ↗
28 Feb 2026
Linux Expectation Management – scripting password changes using expect and secret-tooloriginal ↗
2 Jan 2026

2025

Gafferbot – All Systems Meh !original ↗
22 Nov 2025
Fixing data faux pas with flashback table #JoelKallmanDayoriginal ↗
15 Oct 2025
Getting Oracle to Create List Partitions automaticallyoriginal ↗
2 Oct 2025
Using DBMS_OUTPUT in utPLSQL tests for procedures that don’t perform DMLoriginal ↗
8 Sept 2025
The Gafferbot Supremacy – why a Goldfish Memory and inability to count are no barrier to Fantasy Football Successoriginal ↗
25 Aug 2025
Oracle External Tables and really really long linesoriginal ↗
20 Aug 2025
GafferBot – a journey into AI through the medium of Fantasy Footballoriginal ↗
3 Aug 2025
Passwordless connection to a Linux server using SSHoriginal ↗
22 Jul 2025
User Defined Extensions in SQLDeveloper Classic – something you can’t do in VSCode (yet)original ↗
1 Jun 2025
Setting up a Local Only SMTP server in Ubuntuoriginal ↗
6 May 2025
Fibonacci’s favourite IPL Team and the difference between ROW_NUMBER and RANK Analytic Functionsoriginal ↗
7 Apr 2025
Backing Up your Linux Desktop to Google Drive using Deja Dup on Ubuntuoriginal ↗
24 Feb 2025
Accessing USB Storage attached to a Home Router from Ubuntuoriginal ↗
9 Jan 2025

2024

Generating a CSV file with a SQL_SCRIPT Scheduler Joboriginal ↗
3 Dec 2024
Setting up a Credential for use in SQL_SCRIPT jobs without using the Oracle os useroriginal ↗
18 Nov 2024
Oracle DBMS_SCHEDULER – Getting in a tangle with Time Zonesoriginal ↗
28 Oct 2024
Skippy – Displaying log messages using DBMS_OUTPUToriginal ↗
21 Oct 2024
What’s that Skippy ? SYS_CONTEXT USERENV Parameters in the database don’t match the docs ?original ↗
15 Jul 2024
Creating a central Repository using Git Bareoriginal ↗
17 Jun 2024
Oracle External Tables and the External Modify Clauseoriginal ↗
5 Jun 2024
Freddie Starr Ate My File ! Finding out exactly what the Oracle Filewatcher is up tooriginal ↗
15 Apr 2024
If you think I’m geeky, you should meet my friend.original ↗
16 Mar 2024
Using the APEX_DATA_EXPORT package directly from PL/SQLoriginal ↗
29 Jan 2024
Pi-Eyed and Clueless – Adventures with Board and Flash Driveoriginal ↗
15 Jan 2024
Using STANDARD_HASH to generate synthetic key valuesoriginal ↗
4 Jan 2024

2023

Dr Who and Oracle SQL Pivotoriginal ↗
11 Dec 2023
Installing a Gnome Desktop Extension in Ubuntuoriginal ↗
8 Nov 2023
Cut-and-Paste-Driven-Development – Using utPLSQL to build a test harness in Oracle.original ↗
16 Oct 2023
A Performance Comparison between Oracle’s REGEXP_SUBSTR and SUBSTR functionsoriginal ↗
25 Sept 2023
Things that make you go VAAARRRGGGHHHH ! – ORA-38104 in a Stored Program Unitoriginal ↗
14 Aug 2023
Happy Hatters and Oracle Interval Partitioningoriginal ↗
11 Jul 2023
The Oracle Database Features Site – reducing Oracle Documentation Drudgeryoriginal ↗
21 Jun 2023
The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and… how big is my Oracle Table ?original ↗
15 May 2023
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Query !) – the easy way to use External Tables with CSV filesoriginal ↗
2 May 2023
Loading data into Oracle directly from compressed or enrcypted filesoriginal ↗
11 Apr 2023
Loading selected fields from a delimited file into Oracle using an External Tableoriginal ↗
28 Mar 2023
FORALL DML – why context isn’t everythingoriginal ↗
14 Mar 2023
Using a full outer join to “diff” two tablesoriginal ↗
21 Feb 2023
The Oracle SQL Limit Clause and teaching a New Dog Old Tricksoriginal ↗
31 Jan 2023
Conditionally calling a script in a SQL*Plus control scriptoriginal ↗
11 Jan 2023
Converting a non-partitioned table to partitioned in Oracleoriginal ↗
2 Jan 2023

2022

Building a Master-Detail Drill-Down with APEXoriginal ↗
23 Dec 2022
Flipping Plans ! Retrieving past execution plans from AWRoriginal ↗
21 Nov 2022
Generating Journal Triggers with help from DBMS_UTILITYoriginal ↗
7 Nov 2022
DETERMINISTIC and RESULT_CACHE PL/SQL functionsoriginal ↗
16 Oct 2022
Saving the World from Fat-finger moments – with regexp_likeoriginal ↗
20 Sept 2022
Linux – Checking that two files contain the same data but in a different order – Sorted!original ↗
12 Sept 2022
Excluding English Public Holidays from a DBMS_SCHEDULER Scheduleoriginal ↗
23 Aug 2022
Connecting to an Autonomous Database in the Oracle Cloudoriginal ↗
8 Aug 2022
Creating a Datapump Export using an External Tableoriginal ↗
2 Aug 2022
Coming a cropper with SQL*Plus COPY – coping with unexpected DML on errororiginal ↗
18 Jul 2022
Using an Access Control List to set default permission for new files in a directory on Linuxoriginal ↗
4 Jul 2022
Skippy – Lazy Logging for Lazy PL/SQL Devsoriginal ↗
23 Jun 2022
Furry File Finagling in Linuxoriginal ↗
6 Jun 2022
Generating an Excel Report from PL/SQL using AS_XLSXoriginal ↗
30 May 2022
SQLDeveloper Sorcery – drag-and-drop in-lists.original ↗
21 May 2022
Initialising SQL*Plus variables with NEW_VALUEoriginal ↗
15 May 2022
Pretty Vagrant – the easiest way to get Oracle XE21c running on Ubuntuoriginal ↗
8 May 2022
Turtles All the Way ! Removing Clear Text passwords from bash scripts invoking SQL*Plusoriginal ↗
4 Apr 2022
Working from Home when it’s stormy outside – Using 4G when Broadband is unavailableoriginal ↗
5 Mar 2022
The most productive code I’ll write this yearoriginal ↗
31 Jan 2022
Upgrading Plex Media Server on a Raspberry Pioriginal ↗
20 Jan 2022

2021

Finding an Identity Column Sequence in Oracleoriginal ↗
29 Dec 2021
Predicting the future with DBMS_SCHEDULER.EVALUATE_CALENDAR_STRINGoriginal ↗
19 Nov 2021
Side-stepping session silliness – ORA-04068 and MODIFY_PACKAGE_STATEoriginal ↗
30 Oct 2021
The Three Laws of Robotic Vacuum Cleaners and the ANYDATA Datatypeoriginal ↗
6 Oct 2021
Defaulting Argument Values in a BASH scriptoriginal ↗
13 Sept 2021
Help, Oracle’s yanking my Chain (count)original ↗
25 Jul 2021
Using the INTERVAL data type ( and some pictures) to tell the difference between two Timestamps in Oracleoriginal ↗
5 Apr 2021
Capturing DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE messages in the heat of a Six Nations campaignoriginal ↗
22 Feb 2021
Fantasy Software Development Sprint 1- Coding like it’s 1889 !original ↗
8 Feb 2021
Fantasy Software Development – Story Findingoriginal ↗
16 Jan 2021

2020

Fantasy Software Development – exploring Brownfield development with Oracle RADoriginal ↗
30 Dec 2020
Horrible Histograms and Invidious Indexes – Exploits to by-pass Oracle Database Security – including VPD and Database Vaultoriginal ↗
20 Nov 2020
Assaulting my Battery – Myths and Legends about looking after a laptop battery.original ↗
26 Oct 2020
DBMS_SCHEDULER – Fiddling with File Watchersoriginal ↗
30 Sept 2020
Time flies when you’re having fun – The truth about Oracle Exception handlers (this week)original ↗
10 Jul 2020
Making the most of Oracle 18c XE – Pluggable Databases and the Oracle Eco-Systemoriginal ↗
26 Jun 2020
My Commute through Londonoriginal ↗
9 Jun 2020
Running a shell script from inside an Oracle database using DBMS_SCHEDULERoriginal ↗
27 May 2020
No Data ? No Problem ! Fun and Games with the NO_DATA_FOUND exceptionoriginal ↗
6 May 2020
To Boldly gzip from PL/SQLoriginal ↗
28 Apr 2020
Secrecy and (file) Corruption – diving into the murky world of GPG encryptionoriginal ↗
18 Apr 2020
Reading an OS file from inside an Oracle Database using an External Tableoriginal ↗
5 Apr 2020
Generating CSV files from PL/SQL the Very Easy Way.original ↗
13 Feb 2020
Running a “background” job in PL/SQLoriginal ↗
20 Jan 2020
Upcycling and old TV to a Smart TV with an Amazon FireTV Stickoriginal ↗
13 Jan 2020

2019

Putting VALIDATE_CONVERSION front and centre, or possibly centeroriginal ↗
19 Dec 2019
Configuring External Tools in SQLDeveloperoriginal ↗
19 Nov 2019
Using Git in SQLDeveloperoriginal ↗
6 Nov 2019
Making yourself at home in SQLDeveloperoriginal ↗
24 Oct 2019
Oracle and Alternative Facts – generating test data with DBMS_RANDOMoriginal ↗
1 Oct 2019
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