Grant Fritchey

Grant Fritchey is a SQL Server MVP with over 20 years’ experience in IT including time spent in support and development. Grant has worked with SQL Server since version 6.0 back in 1995. He has developed in VB, VB.Net, C# and Java. Grant has authored books for Apress and Simple-Talk, and joined Red Gate as a Product Advocate in January 2011. Find Grant on Twitter @GFritchey or on his blog as the Scary DBA.

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Keep Sharing

I was given a little reward the other day. My son came home telling me that the manufacturing company he works for wants to build some custom test equipment using Arduino-style controller chips. I've been experimenting, pretty darned lightly so far, with these over the last year. He starts asking me about which controllers I […]

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2023-07-01

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Trust!

The difference between a low trust society (few individuals within a trust circle outside your family and/or tribe) and a high trust society (general trust of individuals beyond immediate family/tribe associations) generally speaking can be measured as the difference between a low tech (low trust) and high tech (high trust) society. Yes, exceptions abound, but […]

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2023-06-03

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Blog Post

Why Put PostgreSQL in Azure

I’ve had people come up to me and say “PostgreSQL is open source and therefore license free. Why on earth would I put PostgreSQL in Azure?” Honestly, I think...

2023-05-17 (first published: )

245 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Distracted

I've found myself to be very distracted this week. Concentration on the task at hand has proven to be a challenge. I'm pretty sure the cause is that I just came off of three weeks of travel, which can be exhausting. Concentration, like so many things in life, requires energy. No energy, no concentration. So, […]

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2023-05-06

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Blog Post

ChatGPT Lied To Me

I’ve been seeing more and more noise about how ChatGPT can help with technical stuff, writing code, all that. Well, I wanted to know how best to set up...

2023-04-21 (first published: )

812 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Keeping Things Running

Today and tomorrow, as I write this, the Green Country Hamfest will be running up in Claremore, OK. Tomorrow morning, I'll be there to check out the tables and maybe pick up some new radio gear. I'll also be volunteering to help run the doors. Largely it involves just checking to be sure people paid […]

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2023-04-08

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Where Your Value Separates You from Others

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Fixing the Error

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T-SQL in SQL Server 2025: Encoding Functions

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Question of the Day

Fixing the Error

On SQL Server 2025, I have a database that has this collation: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. I decide I want to run this code:

SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C*3068 and good night', '*') AS 'A Classic';
I get this error:Msg 9844, Level 16, State 4, Line 24 The char/varchar input type uses an unsupported collation. Only a UTF8 collation is supported with char/varchar input type in UNISTR function.What is the easiest way to fix this error?

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