Side Projects
Anyone (everyone?) who has ever tried to learn a programming language knows that to really learn, you need a project. I’m a DBA by trade and as such…haven’t really...
2025-01-06 (first published: 2024-12-20)
376 reads
Blog Posts
Advice I Like: Experience and Aptitude
Experience is overrated. Most breakthrough accomplishments were done by people doing them for the first time. Therefore when hiring hire for aptitude and attitude and then train for skills....
2025-01-03
344 reads
Database Build Error – Incorrect syntax near DISTINCT
I wrote a piece of SQL that had some new T-SQL syntax in it: IS DISTINCT FROM. This predicate checks if two expressions are equal taking NULL into account....
2025-01-03 (first published: 2024-06-24)
702 reads
Introduction to OpenAI and LLMs – Part 2
My previous blog post on this topic was Introduction to OpenAI and LLMs, the “what” part (what is OpenAI and LLM), and this blog post will talk about the...
2025-01-03 (first published: 2024-06-05)
1,305 reads
Plan Time for Self-Development
As you begin the new year, if you don't already have time set aside each week for self-development, plan it. Don't just "make time," but actually set up the...
2025-01-02
33 reads
Non-Functional Requirements
I have found that non-functional requirements (NFRs) can be hard to define for a given solution. I’ve seen teams struggle with NFRs. However, to ensure I’m speaking the same...
2025-01-01 (first published: 2024-05-08)
666 reads
Book Review – Agile Data Warehouse Design
I recently read the book Agile Data Warehouse Design – Collaborative Dimensional Modeling, from Whiteboard to Star Schema (quite the title) by Lawrence Corr and Jim Stagnitto. The book...
2024-12-30 (first published: 2024-12-18)
1,190 reads
Changing the Origin in Git–#SQLNewBlogger
I needed to show a customer how to migrate from Azure DevOps to GitHub recently, and to smooth this process, we needed to repoint the origin remote. Another post...
2024-12-30 (first published: 2024-01-03)
319 reads
Replacing Images in PBIR Format Reports
With the PBIR format of Power BI reports, it’s much easier to make report updates outside of Power BI Desktop. One thing you may want to do is to...
2024-12-30
7 reads
Replacing Images in PBIR Format Reports
With the PBIR format of Power BI reports, it’s much easier to make report updates outside of Power BI Desktop. One thing you may want to do is to...
2024-12-30
4 reads
Blogs
The Book of Redgate: Spread across the world
By Steve Jones
This was Redgate in 2010, spread across the globe. First the EU/US Here’s Asia...
Merry Christmas
By John
Today is Christmas and while I do not expect anybody to actual be reading...
Self-Hosting a Photo Server the Whole Family Can Use
By Bert Wagner
Until recently, my family's 90,000+ photos have been hidden away in the depths of...
Forums
Happy Holidays, Let's Do Nerdy Stuff
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Happy Holidays, Let's Do Nerdy...
UNISTR Escape
Comments posted to this topic are about the item UNISTR Escape
Celebrating Tomorrow
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Celebrating Tomorrow
Question of the Day
UNISTR Escape
In SQL Server 2025, I run this command:
SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C\3068 and good night', '*') as "A Classic";
What is returned? (assume the database has an appropriate collation)
A: 
B: 
C: 
See possible answers