Most SQL Server developers and DBAs are familiar with the concept of using a database as a back end to a web site or other application. However the database can be used to store more than just the data that users will edit. An interesting approach to application design begins with some knowledge of the metadata about the underlying data structures and using this to drive the application's behavior. New author Jim Craddock has utilized just such a concept in one if his applications and he brings us a look at how this works.   Read more...

Mindy explores the metadata stored in SQL 2000 to show you how to produce a simple and useful data dictionary!   Read more...

David recently worked on a project where it turned out storing the answers to a survey using bitmapping was a good approach. He was good enough to write some of it down and share. As he notes bitmapping isn't used as often as it used to be, but it can still be a useful technique to have around.   Read more...

Chris discusses some issues he had trying to use SQL dates from within Java. Interesting stuff and brings up the point that if you have dates stored in local time, having users in multiple time zones can be a large headache.   Read more...

Jon has been off in the land of C# and web apps for a while, but a recent project has him investigating OLAP and then coming up with a custom solution that met his needs. Jon helped us get this site off the ground, good to have him back for a guest appearance!   Read more...

David writes about the system he put together to handle addresses and the pros and cons of various techiques. Familiar with Soundex? He uses that too! Even though some of the info is specific to Great Britain, it's good reading. Addresses are one of the hardest pieces of information to handle!   Read more...

This article by Simon Galbraith (from Red Gate software, maker of SQL Compare) discusses migrating changes from development to staging, QA, and on to production. If you've never seen the need for a schema compare tool (Steve Jones!), this is worth reading.  Read more...

Jobs are pretty basic aren't they? They are until you get a couple hundred, or a thousand. Andy continues talking about managing jobs by standardizing how you handle notifications and failures, and talks about an interesting idea to monitor jobs separately from SQL Agent. Worth reading!   Read more...

How many jobs do you have? 10? 100? 1000? Andy makes the point that what works to manage for a small number of jobs doesn't work when that number doubles or triples (well, unless you only had 1 job to start with!). In part one of two, this article looks at ideas for using categories and naming conventions to get things under control.   Read more...

Version control for stored procedures isn't always popular and certainly isn't easy. Or can it be? Andy discusses a technique he used on a recent project that you might find interesting.   Read more...

Andy read this book recently and gave it a great review. Even though it's not a SQL book! Seriously, take a look at the review. It's a good book that is fun to read.   Read more...

Mindy explores the metadata stored in SQL 2000 to show you how to produce a simple and useful data dictionary!   Read more...

Last week Andy started a discussion of the various ways you can reduce the number of round trips to the server. This week he continues by looking at a method he used recently to do client side caching of data to eliminate the round trip altogether. Gotta read it!   Read more...

Andy says it's not the greatest book for preparing for the 70-100 exam, but the case study is worth reading for it's explanation of the Microsoft Solution Framework. Read the full review!   Read more...

Should you use this book to prepare for the 70-100 exam? Read the review and find out!   Read more...

Most SQL Server developers and DBAs are familiar with the concept of using a database as a back end to a web site or other application. However the database can be used to store more than just the data that users will edit. An interesting approach to application design begins with some knowledge of the metadata about the underlying data structures and using this to drive the application's behavior. New author Jim Craddock has utilized just such a concept in one if his applications and he brings us a look at how this works.   Read more...

David recently worked on a project where it turned out storing the answers to a survey using bitmapping was a good approach. He was good enough to write some of it down and share. As he notes bitmapping isn't used as often as it used to be, but it can still be a useful technique to have around.   Read more...

Chris discusses some issues he had trying to use SQL dates from within Java. Interesting stuff and brings up the point that if you have dates stored in local time, having users in multiple time zones can be a large headache.   Read more...