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

Own Your Mistakes

Hello, Grant again as Steve is on sabbatical. My evenings and weekends are currently being used to update my SQL Server query performance book for 2025. I really enjoy it because writing the book forces me to structure my learning on SQL Server 2025, not just hit it in some slipshod manner. Plus, I've got […]

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2025-07-04

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Filling Big Shoes

Hey all! It's me, Grant. For those who don't me, Grant Fritchey. I work with Steve Jones, the person normally talking to you here. Yes, Redgate actually employs me, and continues to. I don't know why either. Anyway, Steve is off for a few weeks on his sabbatical. More power to him and I hope […]

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2025-07-02

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Greener Grass

Before I start the whining (whinging if you prefer), let me just say I have the greatest job in the world. I'm exceedingly lucky to have it. I'm grateful as can be. And someone else (looking at you Tim) can get it when they pry it from my dead cold fingers. With that out of […]

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2025-06-16 (first published: )

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Just Answer the Question!

I've taken part in online forums since... hoo boy, I was using a dial up modem and had to constantly remind my wife not to pick up the phone while I was using the computer.  Man I'm old. Anyway... I've asked a lot of questions over the years, and I've tried to answer them as […]

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2025-05-03

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Life Moves Pretty Fast

Driving my soon-to-be granddaughter to school today (my son is getting married and will adopt the young lady), we saw a dead armadillo, a turtle in the road (rescued it) and an escaped cow (left it alone). THEN... old soon-to-be granddad had forgotten lunch, so had to deliver that back at the school (cow must […]

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2025-04-26

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Smile and Wave Boys

I won't even try to hide it. I got a huge kick out of the penguin characters in the animated movie, Madagascar. For those who don't know, they're trying to escape the zoo, but are trying to hide that from anyone discovering it. So, they put up a front, "Smile and wave boys. Smile and […]

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2025-03-22

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

Limits, Not Goals

I just saw one of "those" questions. You know the ones: 'We're hitting an error with a stored procedure. What is the maximum number of parameters you can have?" <sigh> Look, I get it. Breaking the land speed record is cool. Getting the most people into a phone booth (look it up), also cool. Fastest, […]

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2025-02-15

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Yeah, I know, holidays are over. It snowed about four inches overnight here and it's still coming down a little. You'll forgive me for having that song running through my head. Yesterday morning, before the storm started, we did a check through the house to make sure we were ready for a couple of days […]

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2025-01-11

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SQLServerCentral Editorial

It's The People

Last week the 2024 PASS Data Community Summit conference was held in Seattle. 1,700 of my closest friends got together for a week of learning (well, technically it's a three day conference, but there are two days of pre-conference seminars) and sharing. I'm still exhausted a week later (although, old age and an aggressive travel […]

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2024-11-16

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Question of the Day

Adding new column with DEFAULT II

Which number did the two COUNT(*) return:

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #tmp
CREATE TABLE #tmp (id INT NOT NULL)

INSERT INTO #tmp (id) 
SELECT gs.value
  FROM GENERATE_SERIES(1, 5) AS gs

ALTER TABLE #tmp ADD my_value INT NOT NULL CONSTRAINT df_tmp_my_value DEFAULT 1

SELECT COUNT(*)  FROM #tmp AS t WHERE my_value = 1

ALTER TABLE #tmp DROP CONSTRAINT df_tmp_my_value

ALTER TABLE #tmp ADD CONSTRAINT df_tmp_my_value DEFAULT 2 FOR my_value

SELECT COUNT(*)  FROM #tmp AS t WHERE my_value = 1

See possible answers