R Glen Cooper

Glen Cooper (r.glen.cooper@gmail.com) is a SQL Server programmer. His current interest involves graph-theoretical solutions to optimization problems. Glen holds a PhD in Mathematics specializing in model theory and symbolic logic.
  • Interests: SQL Server, .NET, Mathematics

SQLServerCentral Article

Dijkstra's Algorithm

Introduction This article celebrates a classic algorithm [1] of Dijkstra (1930 – 2002) which finds a path of minimal cost between any pair of nodes in an undirected graph. His procedure is widely recognized as a fundamental tool for examining communication and transportation networks (eg. Google Maps) and is surprisingly simple. By his own admission, […]

(5)

You rated this post out of 5. Change rating

2024-01-05

8,494 reads

SQLServerCentral Article

Horizontal Trees

Introduction The sp_HorizontalTree procedure introduced here may be used to audit tables with dependent columns. A column is dependent on another if the meaning of the first column depends on the meaning of the second. For example, in a table containing accounting information, the meaning of a Fiscal Quarter column depends on the Fiscal Year to […]

You rated this post out of 5. Change rating

2023-06-16

2,413 reads

SQLServerCentral Article

How To Avoid MERGE in SQL Server

Introduction This article shows how to script a basic merge between two tables, without using MERGE. This can be handy when you're merging a pair of tables with hundreds of columns, since the script doesn't know anything about them. This technique introduces and populates some auditing columns (IS_DELETED, IS_INSERTED, IS_UPDATED, TRANSACTION_DATE) for each record, and runs fast. […]

(6)

You rated this post out of 5. Change rating

2023-02-20 (first published: )

18,745 reads

SQLServerCentral Article

Navigating Trees With CTE

Introduction This article shows how common table expressions (CTE) in SQL Server are naturally suited for navigating trees, such as finding its longest path, or diameter. Recall that a tree is an undirected graph where unique paths exist between any two nodes (i.e. vertices). Any node may be selected as its top node, with its […]

(5)

You rated this post out of 5. Change rating

2021-04-19

8,081 reads

Blogs

SQL, MDX, DAX – the languages of data

By

Ramblings of a retired data architect Let me start by saying that I have...

Setting PK Names in Redgate Data Modeler

By

A customer was testing Redgate Data Modeler and complained that it auto-generated PK names....

Flyway Tips: AI Deployment Script Descriptions

By

With the AI push being everywhere, Redgate is no exception. We’ve been getting requests,...

Read the latest Blogs

Forums

Connecting Power BI to SSAS and effective user not working

By Paul Hernández

Hi everyone, Below is a consolidated summary of what we validated Architecture & data...

High Availability setup - has anyone seen this method?

By Paul Lancaster

Hi all, I recently moved to a new employer who have their HA setup...

Semantic Search in SQL Server 2025

By Deepam Ghosh

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Semantic Search in SQL Server...

Visit the forum

Question of the Day

Encoding URLs

I have this data in a SQL Server 2025 table:

CREATE TABLE Response
( ResponseID INT NOT NULL CONSTRAINT ResponsePK PRIMARY KEY
, ResponseVal VARBINARY(5000)
)
GO
If I want to get a value from this table that I can add to a URL in a browser, which of these code items produces a result I can use?

See possible answers