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Brandur is not struggling with SQL[0][1]. That was an illustrative example of the kinds of walls you encounter in life as a programmer.

[0]: https://brandur.org/postgres-reads

[1]: https://brandur.org/postgres-atomicity

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Then perhaps he should become a fictional writer then. So what parts of this “story” are even true? But more importantly, what is the point of writing a fictitious story like this? If he’s not struggling with SQL and Rust, then what is it? Clickbait? I think you mean an illustrative example of Rust-bashing.

The introduction is a generic example of learning to program and the kind of difficulty curve you encounter there. Nowhere does it suggest that it's the current state of the authors knowledge.

Nowhere does this article suggest that the introduction is a generic example of learning to program. No. Where.

He's (the OP) also correct. SQL is really, really weird when you come from an imperative/functional perspective.

I've forgotten most of this as I've gotten used to SQL, but you can use variables before you define them (except when you can't (damn you group by not handling my alias)). Like all of this makes sense to me now, but it was pretty painful when I started. I distinctly remember WTF-ing my way through my first weeks with SQL.

Rust gives me a similar feeling.

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