T-SQL in SQL Server 2025: Encoding Functions
Learn about these new binary encoding and decoding functions in SQL Server 2025.
Where Your Value Separates You from Others
Many of us aspire to be senior level professionals at some point in our careers, but what separates us from others? Steve has a few thoughts today.
Generating Shape Bound Random Points in SQL Server
Random number generation is vital in computer science, supporting fields like optimization, simulation, robotics, and gaming. The quality, speed, and sometimes security of the generator can directly affect an algorithm’s correctness, performance, and competitiveness. In Python, random number generation is well-supported and widely used. In this article, we will look how to we can use SQL to do this.
PowerShell Day By Day: The Pipeline
In this article, I wanted to discuss the PowerShell (PoSh) pipeline, which was confusing to me at first and took some time to get used to working with. I had used one in Linux before, but the PoSh one is more powerful, but also slightly different. Hopefully I can demystify some of the concepts for […]
Using Python notebooks to save money in Fabric: The Fabric Modern Data Platform
In this next article, we look at how notebooks using Python can be cheaper than Spark notebooks.
Let’s Build a Better KILL. What Do We Need to Consider?
When there’s a performance emergency, a lot of us perform the same manual tasks over and over. We run sp_BlitzWho or sp_WhoIsActive, look for blocking, long-running or out-of-control queries, and kill them.
Loading a Database for USD$5
See how Claude Code helped load a lot of messy data into a database for less than $5.
Minimally Viable Security
Today Steve talks about the need for a basic level of security in our software.
Optimize SQL Server Query without Changing the Query
Sometimes we cannot improve query performance because we don’t have control over the code. Consider a query that is generated by Entity Framework (EF) from the application and you do not have access to the source code. The main question is how you can improve SQL Server query optimization for a poorly performing query?
Blogs
Flyway Tips: AI Deployment Script Descriptions
By Steve Jones
With the AI push being everywhere, Redgate is no exception. We’ve been getting requests,...
A New Word: Fawtle
By Steve Jones
fawtle – n. a weird little flaw built into your partner that somehow only...
Post-quantum key exchange – Insurance policy for your packets
AWS recently added support for Post-Quantum Key Exchange for TLS in Application Load Balancer...
Forums
Where Your Value Separates You from Others
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Where Your Value Separates You...
Fixing the Error
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Fixing the Error
T-SQL in SQL Server 2025: Encoding Functions
Comments posted to this topic are about the item T-SQL in SQL Server 2025:...
Question of the Day
Fixing the Error
On SQL Server 2025, I have a database that has this collation: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. I decide I want to run this code:
SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C*3068 and good night', '*') AS 'A Classic';
I get this error:Msg 9844, Level 16, State 4, Line 24 The char/varchar input type uses an unsupported collation. Only a UTF8 collation is supported with char/varchar input type in UNISTR function.What is the easiest way to fix this error? See possible answers