The Basics of TRY CATCH Blocks–#SQLNewBlogger
I was working with a customer and discussing how to do error handling. This is a short post that looks at how you can start adding TRY.. CATCH blocks...
2024-04-22 (first published: 2024-03-27)
647 reads
Blog Posts
A New Word: Apolytus
apolytus– n. the moment you realize you are changing as a person, finally outgrowing your old problems like a reptile shedding its skin, already able to twist back around...
2024-04-19
104 reads
Book Review: 100 SQL Server Mistakes
I was approached by Manning Publications and asked to review 100 SQL Server Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. They gave me a free copy of the book (and...
2024-04-19 (first published: 2024-03-25)
537 reads
First Time Speaking with a Mask at an Event
Over the past couple of months, I have started losing my ability to talk without a mask. One of the effects of a disease, ALS, is that I am...
2024-04-19
42 reads
Learning SQL Book Review – Best Free Book for Learning SQL for Beginners
Data is everywhere, and if you want to make sense of it, SQL (Structured Query Language) is your secret weapon. Whether it’s managing customer data or analyzing trends, SQL...
2024-04-19 (first published: 2024-04-06)
504 reads
RTO and RPO are myths unless you’ve tested recovery
I’ve watched teams spend a lot of time on backup strategy. They plan out the full, differential, and log backups to ensure they can successfully meet the recovery point...
2024-04-17 (first published: 2024-04-05)
354 reads
SQL Quickstart Guide by Walter Shields – Book Review & Summary
In today’s world, data is everywhere. Companies collect it, governments analyze it, and it influences everything from what products we buy to how we vote. But all that data...
2024-04-17 (first published: 2024-04-05)
222 reads
Derby City Data Days
It was awesome to see the Kentucky data community come out for the first Derby City Data Days in Louisville, KY! Bringing together communities from Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky,...
2024-04-16
35 reads
Familiar Sights
Yesterday was a long day in London. I arrived late in the am, and as I was walking from the plane to the border check, I went down the...
2024-04-16
38 reads
How Do You Decide What to Learn?
There are so many choices and so little time. How do you go about deciding what to learn? I have to delicately balance everything I think I want to...
2024-04-15 (first published: 2024-04-02)
437 reads
Blogs
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later)
By SQLPals
How to Clear the SSMS Cache (SSMS 21 and Later) Updated...
The flight recorder: Replaying what an AI agent did on my SQL Server
By Arun Sirpal
“What exactly did it do on my server?” is the first question a DBA...
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
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The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers