Hehe, this CAST('' AS DATETIME) is a funny annoying feature of SQL Server. 

I've described this here http://www.sql-server-performance.com/fk_datetime2.asp

Yeah, should also be easy to say, when one is drunk

Should be not too bad. Don't know if this is readily available, but the forum component (php, but that doesn't matter) I use for my site, offers such a functionality.

May...

Man, you're asking a lot of *very* broad questions. Don't you think it is better, to surf the homepages of the RDBMS you're interested in?

It is better to read...

Platform is usually the OS a database server runs on. It's quite self-explaining that SQL Server runs only on Windows platforms, while Oracle supports some others, too.

Thanks, Michael!

And Remi,   .  At times the distinction between a primate and a human is nothing but a thin flowing line. And that not only...

This is the link to SQL Server's Books Online. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a6f79cb1-a420-445f-8a4b-bd77a7da194b&displaylang=en

It's a free download from Microsoft and covers all you need. What about starting there?

BOL is the short form of Books Online and is commonly used when one refers to SQL Server's online help. Unlike other product manuals, BOL is always the first place to...

SET NOCOUNT ON/OFF is explained in SQL Server's online help (BOL).

I actually misplaced it in my example. It should almost always be among the first and last statement in...

I see...

Is this better?

set nocount on

create table company1

(

 prodID int primary key

 , prod varchar(10)

 , sale int

)

create table company2

(

 prodID int primary key

 , prod varchar(10)

 , sale int

)

create table company3

(

 prodID int primary...

Can you be a bit more precise in your question?

"Audit" is a broad term used to follow things that are going on in your database.

Sury, you can use GETDATE()-182 like this

SELECT getdate() - 182

------------------------------------------------------

2004-10-13 11:30:05.233

(1 row(s) affected)

Since SQL Server's base date unit is a day, this will work. However, note that 6...

http://www.wiscorp.com/SQLStandards.html

http://www.service-architecture.com/ordbms/

IIRC, neither Oracle nor SQL Server fully adhere to any SQL standard.

Here's a research paper on compliance of DB2, Oracle and SQL Server with Codd's 12 rules:

Indexing is sometimes more of an art than a science

I would start by using the Index Tuning Wizard and then go from there....

Good point. I was implying that there are no future dates.