In all my years of writing database code, the only times I have ever opted to use cursors is when executing a parameterised statement across different servers or databases.

I wouldn't like to try and count the number of times that I have stared into space for minutes at a time trying to work out the required complexities of the joins needed to accomodate a particular task instead of resorting to rbar, but isn't this the point of what DBA's and Database programmers do? We are specialised because the platform requires a specialised skill set and if we don't use it then we are just wasting what the RDBMS can do and, quite frankly, being lazy.

For people not trained in using set based theory it is understandable to use a rbar approach because this is all that they know. But if you do know it then please use it!

Rant over 😉