Cursors are considered by many to be the bane of good T-SQL. What are the best ways to avoid iterative T-SQL and to write queries that look and perform beautifully? In the next part of an ongoing series, we look at ways to efficiently retrieve recently modified data.
2014-06-02
7,062 reads
Comparing columns of different data types can be a drain on resources, as well as our sanity. This is a look into a few strategies for dealing with implicit conversions.
2014-05-19
10,243 reads
An important part of regular database maintenance is to monitor index usage and make adjustments as needed. How can we monitor, store, and trend this data effectively over time?
2014-05-05
6,839 reads
Inevitably, every DBA is eventually asked to delete, merge, or otherwise report on duplicate data. There are many tools at our disposal to make this task both simple and efficient to complete. Read on for simple steps and examples to effectively deal with duplicate data.
2014-04-29
6,711 reads
By Steve Jones
I had an idea for an animated view of a sales tool, and started...
Next Monday, February 9, 2026, my one-day live online training SQL Server Query Tuning...
By Steve Jones
One of the features we advocates have been advocating for is a better way...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Delta Lake: The Definitive Guide:...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Databricks Data Intelligence Platform: Unlocking...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Storytelling with Data: Let's Practice!
In SQL Server 2025, what is returned from this code:
DECLARE @message VARCHAR(50) = 'Hello SQL Server 2025!'; DECLARE @encoded VARCHAR(MAX); SET @encoded = BASE64_ENCODE(CAST(@message AS VARBINARY(1000))); SELECT BASE64_DECODE(@encoded)See possible answers