Articles

External Article

SQL Server R Services: Working with Multiple Data Sets

Although it is easy to use SQL Server R Services to create R scripts that incorporate SQL Server data by passing in a T-SQL query as an argument when calling the sp_execute_external_script stored procedure, you are limited to that one query, unless you pass additional data directly between R and SQL Server via CSV files. It is simple to do, and opens up many additional opportunities for data analysis. Robert Sheldon explains how.

2017-12-07

3,542 reads

External Article

Importing JSON Data from Web Services and Applications into SQL Server

To support many applications, it makes sense for the database to work with JSON data, because it is the built-in way for a JavaScript or TypeScript application to represent object data. It can mean less network traffic, looser coupling, and less need for the application developer to require full access to the base tables of the database. However, it means that the database must do plenty of checks first before importing. Phil Factor explains how it can be easily done.

2017-12-04

4,513 reads

External Article

Even More SQL Server Features that Time Forgot

SQL Server works well, and Microsoft does everything it can to keep it relevant and competitive: As with everything in real life, it doesn't don't always get it completely right, and Rob Sheldon continues his quest through the jungle of past features to rediscover and explore the ones that time forgot. Here, he comes across Lightweight Pooling, XML Indexes, Stretch Databases, SQL Variants, Transaction Savepoints and In-Memory OLTP.

2017-12-01

5,018 reads

External Article

Simple SQL: Handling Location Datatypes

How do you record locations in SQL? Most relational database systems support spatial and geographical data, generally using the round-earth system based on the SQL specification of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). However, this is not the only approach, as Joe Celko explains.

2017-11-29

2,871 reads

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Real-time On-prem SQL Server Data in Excel – Over the Internet

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Can You Let Go of Determinism

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Question of the Day

Lots of FKs

In SQL Server 2025, what are the most outgoing and incoming FK references a table can have?

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