Database Weekly

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Do presenting and writing really matter?

  • Editorial

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage that people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. On the other hand, some folks can’t get enough public speaking and look forward to opportunities to get up in front of a group and talk. Writing is not so scary since it’s a solitary activity, […]

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2021-10-30

208 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

All the Tools in Your Toolbox

  • Editorial

I recently began writing an article to compare the performance of several window functions to traditional query methods. I began with my favorite function, LAG, but soon found that there were so many other ways to write the query that the article never covered the additional window functions. The article was quite fun to write, […]

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2021-09-18

208 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

What to do with more free time

  • Editorial

Many data professionals have begun working remotely over the past year and a half which translates to less time spent commuting. In my own case, I’ve been a remote worker for almost ten years, but before that I spent two hours on the road each day. This got me wondering what folks have done with […]

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2021-08-28

262 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

What Counts for a DBA: Skill

  • Editorial

Practice makes perfect:” right? Well, not exactly. The reality of it all is that this saying is an untrustworthy aphorism. I discovered this in my “younger” days when I was a passionate tennis player, practicing and playing 20+ hours a week. No matter what my passion level was, without some serious coaching (and perhaps a […]

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2021-08-14

247 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Deploying SQL Server Automatically

  • Editorial

I've had to install SQL Server many times over the years. Often it has felt that most of these installs were one-offs, a dev server, a new QA instance, a production server for a brand new application. A few times I've had to recover from disaster, including restoring master, but often, I just installed SQL […]

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2021-07-31

476 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Taking time off

  • Editorial

Time is a precious commodity, and so much of our time is dedicated to working. IT professionals often have jobs with good benefits, including generous paid time off. It’s important to get away from work to relax and recharge, but, sometimes, it’s difficult to take those days that belong to us. Even when we do […]

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2021-07-17

102 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

What Counts For a DBA: Ego

  • Editorial

Leaving aside, for a second, Freud’s psychoanalytical definitions, the term “ego” generally refers to a person’s sense of self, and their self-esteem. In casual usage, however, it usually appears in the adjectival form, “egotistical” (most often followed by “jerk”). You don’t need to be a jerk to be a DBA; humility is important. However, ego is important […]

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2021-06-26

290 reads

SQLServerCentral Editorial

What counts for a DBA: Foresight

  • Editorial

Of all the valuable attributes of a DBA, from passion to humility to practicality, perhaps one of the most important attributes may turn out to be the most seemingly nebulous: foresight. According to Free Dictionary, foresight is the "perception of the significance and nature of events before they have occurred". Foresight does not come naturally to most people, as the […]

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2021-05-15

314 reads

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UNISTR Escape

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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