Database Workbench adds support for SQL Anywhere 16

Earlier versions of the Database Workbench development environment supported SQL Anywhere versions 10, 11 and 12, and now Database Workbench Version 5 supports SQL Anywhere 16.

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ISUG-TECH Conference March 29 to April 2 in Atlanta

It's not ISUG any more, apparently, it's ISUG-TECH... and the "S" now means "SAP" not "Sybase": Independent SAP Technical User Group.

Pedantry aside, here's a recent email...

We're sending this email to let you know that pre-registration for our 2015 conference is now open. This will be held March 29-April 2nd in Atlanta, GA, USA. We look forward to welcoming members and non-members alike from around the world. Attendees from 17 countries attended the 2014 event -- we'd like to best that and reach 25 countries this time around! Why pre-register? Pre-registration is free, doesn't commit you to going to the conference, but does give you an additional $200 discount off the conference fee when actual registration opens if you do attend. In addition you have a chance to tell us the kinds of sessions/topics you'd like to see covered at the 2015 event. This will help us shape the best conference for everyone. This is your chance to tell us what you want to see in order for you to attend. So, if you are thinking of attending, or are trying to get travel approval to attend, or need another reason to convince the powers-that-be that they need to send you to the conference, or just want to save some extra $$$ if you're paying your own way, be sure to pre-register now at www.isug.com/techwave2015/preregister. Best Regards, The ISUG-TECH Conference Team

A delightfully pedantic look at a single line of bad code

This article isn't about SQL Anywere, or SQL, but it could be... because simple coding errors are possible in just about any programming language...

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"Though it is unknown whether this vulnerability was ever exploited, it rendered hundreds of millions of devices (and users) vulnerable over the course of 17 months."

Finding More Than One Worm In the Apple by Mike Bland, from ACM Queue May 12, 2014

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Mike Bland's seven-page article discusses one single bad line of code; it's written in C, so if you know even a little C you'll see what's wrong right away...

if ((err = SSLHashSHA1.update( &hashCtx, &signedParams)) != 0) goto fail; goto fail;

... or not.

The article's subtitle kinda gives it away: "If you see something, say something."

In other words, the line that LOOKS wrong IS wrong... and the article is proof that pedants really do have more fun :)

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Where Google Groups went to die

Once upon a time there were CompuServe forums, then there were NNTP newsgroups, then Google Groups, and then... nothing.

Or is there?

The following ancient comment inside a SQL script led to the discovery of a possible Google Groups burial ground (or is it an afterlife?)...

-- The FORWARD TO string may be limited to 4008 bytes for a 4K database page size. -- See Google Groups: -- "forward to" 4008 group:*.sqlanywhere.*

That Google search once led to a page on Google Groups, now it leads here: Is there a size limit on FORWARD TO?



Here's the site; maybe it's worth registering to get full functionality, if you have ancestral needs: codeverge.com

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