Database

Sorry folks, this article was based on flawed benchmark results, I will soon post [an update](/blog/2009/03/31/improve-mysql-insert-performance/)!

Sometimes MySQL needs to work hard. I've been working on an import script that fires a lot of INSERTs. Normally our database server handles 1,000 inserts / sec. That wasn't enough. So I went looking for methods to improve the speed of MySQL inserts and was finally able to increase this number to 28,000 inserts per second. Checkout my late night benchmarking adventures.

Code spends more time being [read than being written](https://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000684.html). I think naturally this is true for queries as well. So it might help if we teach ourselves some guidelines as how to nicely format them. I've searched but at the time of writing, could not find a public Style Guide for SQL formatting. I'll try to keep this guide short and pragmatic, so that it has a chance of actually being read & stuck to : )

Good testing will result in better code. If you have to wait endlessly for on SVN commits, uploads or compile steps, you will simply produce less inventive code. This has to do with: patience, creativity flow, will, and of course time. Constantly being interrupted breaks concentration. If there's one thing I've really learned, it's **invest in a good testing environment**. Rapid review of code results will pay off (I promise).