What Your SP Can Return
Return values from stored procedures (not output params, true return values) probably aren't used as often as they should be. Robert gives you some good examples of how to use them.
2003-08-05
9,877 reads
Robert Marda
- Interests: Sailing, camping, computers, reading and writing sci-fi and fantasy books.
Does Your SP Choke on Errors?
Should your stored procedure continue when it hits an error? Or keep executing? What errors will cause a stored procedure to quit executing auotmatically? Regular columnist Robert Marda has at least some of the answers, we think you'll find this interesting.
2003-06-26
7,385 reads
Handling The Text Data Type
Robert is back this week with a look at the text data type. Not the easiest thing to work with, but sometimes a varchar just doesn't give you the range you need.
2003-05-07
27,675 reads
Block the DBA?
Can you block a DBA from performing certain actions on a server if he has sysadmin rights? The real answer is no, but this article shows you how to block an unknowledgable DBA from performing certain actions.
2003-01-28
6,876 reads
Case Study: Importing New Data Without Emptying Existing Tables
The challenge for Robert Marda was to devise a way to keep the data available at all times while importing the new data, detect if a full or daily update was received and run appropriate data pumps, put in sufficient fail safes to ensure bad data would not get imported, and to make the process automatic including notification to pagers upon failure. Robert shows you how he did it here.
2003-01-09
8,218 reads
Using Check Constraints
Check constraints can be added to a table to enforce specific rules on one or more columns. This article shows you how to use them to enforce simple and more complex rules.
2002-10-03
16,280 reads
Performance Adding Hints
During the process of performance tuning queries and stored procedures there comes a time when you will notice that the execution plan selected by SQL Server is not the best plan. On occasion, everything you try doesnt cause SQL Server to choose the best way to execute your code. These are the times when hints can improve performance.
2002-09-10
9,457 reads
Understanding Execution Plans Part 1
The purpose of this article is to give you a working knowledge of how to view and understand query execution plans for SQL Server. This is part 1 in a series of articles that will walk you through understanding execution plans to help you improve your queries.
2002-07-26
24,288 reads
How Dynamic SQL Can Be Static SQL Part 2
This article shows you how to use the CASE function to design single query solutions that have changing results depending on the values you assign to variables. These techniques are extremely useful as alternatives to dynamic SQL.
2002-05-14
10,833 reads
Multi-Server Administration
Multi server administration allows you to create jobs and maintenance plans once. You can then monitor and change them from one SQL Server. View job histories and statuses for 2, 4, 10, or more SQL Servers from one master SQL Server. See how you can simplify your administration duties with multi server administration.
2002-05-06
13,452 reads
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Question of the Day
The Last Binary Value of the Year
What does this code return?
SELECT cast(0x2025 AS NVARCHAR(20))Image 1:
Image 2: 
Image 3: 
Image 4: 
See possible answers