Robert Hartmann

My name is Robert Hartmann. I am an M.Sc Computer Science graduate with a specialization in databases. I've worked as a DBA for 2 years now, and recently earned an MCSA certification in SQL Server 2012. My focus of interests regarding SQL Server lies in in-depth knowledge as well as query optimizing and tuning, though I also sometimes work with SSAS and SSIS. I try to be as simple as possible in my writing in order to reach as many interested readers as I can.
Outside of work, I have a beautiful son and am married enjoying my family. You can follow me on twitter, or simply subscribe to my RSS feed on http://dirtyread.de/.

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In-Person CISA Training – April 13-16, 2026

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I will be leading an in-person Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam prep class...

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EightKB is back again for 2026! The biggest online SQL Server internals conference is...

The FinOps Lifecycle: From Budgeting to Reporting

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Working in DevOps long enough teaches you two universal truths: That’s exactly why I...

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Fun with JSON II

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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Changing Data Types

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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Answering Questions On Dropped Columns

By Cláudio Silva

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Question of the Day

Fun with JSON II

I have some data in a table: 

CREATE TABLE #test_data
(
    id INT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100),
    birth_date DATE
);

-- Step 2: Insert rows  
INSERT INTO #test_data
VALUES
(1, 'Olivia', '2025-01-05'),
(2, 'Emma', '2025-03-02'),
(3, 'Liam', '2025-11-15'),
(4, 'Noah', '2025-12-22');
If I run this query, how many rows are returned? 
SELECT t1.[key] AS row,
       t2.*
FROM OPENJSON(
     (
         SELECT t.* FROM #test_data AS t FOR JSON PATH
     )
             ) t1
    CROSS APPLY OPENJSON(t1.value) t2;

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