Missing Data
When we don't have all the information needed to model data, we often use NULL. However, that causes other issues.
2021-04-12
2,710 reads
Joe Celko
Mathematicians and SQL
Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor is considered the creator of set theory, and his theories are the basis for the naïve set theory you learned in school. But there are lots of other mathematicians you should know, such as Hilbert, Frege, Russell, Zermelo and Dedekind. They made a lot of contributions, too. Hilbert Hilbert is […]
2021-01-19
5,550 reads
Data Element Names and Scoping Rules in SQL
How you name data elements in databases and applications programs has often been a matter of personal taste. Decades ago, when I worked for state government, there is a COBOL programmer who would pick a theme for his programs. The paragraphs and variables would be named based on the current theme. One of his programs […]
2021-01-11
2,023 reads
Stairway to Database Design Level 8: Cursors
This final level to the first landing completes the basics of a SQL database, by explaining what cursors are and why you should never use them.
2020-11-18 (first published: 2011-11-02)
11,654 reads
2020-10-12
1,960 reads
Stairway to Data, Level 4: Temporal Data
Joe Celko tackles the most difficult of all the types of data handled by SQL, temporal data, and explains how to avoid the commonest traps for the unwary programmer
2020-07-08 (first published: 2011-06-15)
11,139 reads
Stairway to Database Design Level 6: Procedure Bodies
Having covered the procedure headers in SQL Server in the previous level, Joe tackles the subject of the contents of stored procedures. In this level, he outlines limitations of TSQL as a procedural language, and what you need to bear in mind when deciding how to use them.
2019-04-03 (first published: 2011-09-21)
13,416 reads
Stairway to Data, Level 1: The Basics
A great deal of the confusion that occurs when a database application is developed comes from a poor understanding of the basics of data. Here, Joe Celko gives a broad coverage of the difficulties you're likely to meet when handling data in databases.
2019-03-26 (first published: 2011-05-12)
20,405 reads
Stairway to Data, Level 2: Numerics
A confusion about the nature of numbers can lead to a number of problems in database applications. Joe Celko gives a simple guide to the subject
2019-03-26 (first published: 2011-05-18)
12,267 reads
Stairway to Data, Level 3: Strings
Character-handling in SQL is not particularly straightforward, and confusion about collation and character encoding is a common cause of problems with searching, joining, and sorting.
2019-03-26 (first published: 2011-06-01)
9,385 reads
Blogs
Unlock the Power of Your Data: From Basic to Advanced Data Analysis
Data isn't just about numbers and spreadsheets. It holds stories, patterns, and the answers...
Attacking the Weakest Link
By Brian Kelley
When I look at a system and think about its security model, the first...
Webinar – Microsoft Fabric for Dummies
On Wednesday May 15th 2024 I will give a free webinar on MSSQLTips.com about...
Forums
Page could not be moved
Hello Everybody, I have a database on which I try to empty a file...
Extend Event with sqlserver.login
My knowledge of Extended Events is limited, but I am trying to capture some...
ghost backups processed 0 pages
I've got something I'm not aware of performing backups of my dbs at random...
Question of the Day
The Backup File Extension
I run this command in SQL Server 2022. What is the extension of the backup file?
BACKUP DATABASE HerdofTwo TO DISK = 'HerdOfTwo_20240501'See possible answers