Data Profiling with T-SQL
Need to understand new data? This article explains why - and how you can profile it efficiently
2013-02-25
25,921 reads
Adam Aspin
Slowly changing dimensions using T-SQL MERGE
Of all the technical solutions to the problem of slowly changing dimensions, the T-SQL MERGE statement is one of the most elegant.
2011-06-20
42,157 reads
Industrial-strength database documentation using Extended Properties
To finish this short series on extended properties a look at documenting sets of database objects
2011-04-05
8,695 reads
Modifying and deleting extended properties
Continuing the short series on extended properties, this article explains how to turbocharge the creation of extended properties
2011-03-29
12,326 reads
Extracting Extended Properties
In this second article of a short series we look at using the Extended Properties which you have added to a database
2011-03-22
12,428 reads
A faster way to prepare dimensional databases
When you are obliged to create a dimensional database for an SSAS cube, how can you do it as fast as possible?
2010-12-17 (first published: 2010-02-24)
17,213 reads
Add Styles to Your Reporting Services Reports
Reporting Services provides a robust reporting platform that rivals many other products. New author Adam Aspin stars a series on how you can dress up your reports and maintain good development practices.
2010-10-08 (first published: 2009-02-26)
33,893 reads
Fast normalization of a denormalized data source, using surrogate IDs
A cursor-free way of normalizing data from a denormalized data source into a database which uses "surrogate" IDs.
2010-01-25
5,713 reads
SQL Server Agent Jobs – Displaying Status in an Application
This article shows ways of getting feedback to your users when running a SQL Server agent job from an ASP.NET page
2009-09-16
9,396 reads
Returning full error details from SQL Server Agent jobs
Tired of the truncated error history that is available for SQL Server Agent jobs in SSMS, here is a way to get deeper information - easily!
2009-09-09
43,773 reads
Blogs
T-SQL Tuesday #203: Risk and Reward
By Steve Jones
This is timely, as I’m currently on a boat in the Adriatic taking a...
dataMinds Connect 2026 – Slides & Scripts
You can find the slides and SQL scripts for my session “Spice up your...
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
By SQLPals
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later) Updated...
Forums
Using CHOOSE()
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Using CHOOSE()
Re-Seeding a Broken Log Shipping Secondary (Without Touching the Primary)
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Re-Seeding a Broken Log Shipping...
The DBA is Dead! Long Live the !
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The DBA is Dead! Long...
Question of the Day
Using CHOOSE()
We have this code that sets some status values and then queries them using the CHOOSE() function in SQL Server 2025.
CREATE TABLE Status
(
StatusID INT,
StatusDescription VARCHAR(20)
);
GO
INSERT dbo.Status
(
StatusID,
StatusDescription
)
VALUES
(0, 'Uncategorized'),
(1, 'Active'),
(2, 'Inactive'),
(3, 'Temp');
GO
SELECT CHOOSE(StatusID, 'Unknown', 'Active', 'Inactive', 'Temporary')
FROM Status;
When the SELECT runs, what is returned? See possible answers