We enforce RI using the  check constraint with UDF's. This UDF is common, which takes two values, the key type (example CARD_TYPE)  and value (VISA, MASTER etc), queries the lookup table returns...

That depends entirely on what you specifically mean by "customer configurable coded attributes".  Are you talking about a couple of columns for which the customer defines the valid values?  If...

Mike, you can add columns to a table in Enterprise Manager without too much fuss at all. Just add them at the end. Then EM will just use the...

As soon as I read this article, something inside me said "Lawd, I hope Joe don't see this!"

Seriously though, Joe's right.  This table design offers zero benefits to outweigh the complexity...

Nice article.  You might want to mention that EM should not be used to modify tables that are already populated.  EM completely re-builds and re-populates the table from scratch for...

Thanks for the feedback.

To avoid SQL injection:  always validate user input, use parameterized queries and sp_executesql, and limit the permissions of the ASPNET user on the server and within the database.

There...

Thanks for the feedback!

Keep in mind though that even though in the example I gave all data is passed as VARCHAR's which need to be quoted, not all data passed...

Thanks for the feedback.  I had read that MD5 collisions were becoming more common, but hadn't realized that NIST had declared it unsecure.  SHA-256 and SHA-512 are good alternatives for...

For data warehousing and some other specialized applications, de-normalization might be the correct move.  And you're right, trying to fix a broken schema after the fact can be a serious...

<quote>I'm really thinking about putting together a series on interviewing… how to prepare, what to know, what not to know, etc. It seems kinda like a no-brainer, but the...

"Gee, naive as I may be about SQL design (I can do the day-to-day admin stuff pretty well) I had thought that the database was about the data and making...

I'm sure someone will write an article, but here's a shortlist to tide you over:

• Normal forms (I would recommend knowing up to 4NF at least):  Why is it important?  What does...

The first indication that something is wrong with an applicant is that he rates himself "11" on a scale of "1 to 10".  That's a clear indication that they don't...

Personally I'd prefer the honest approach taken in this article.  As an applicant I would take the specific reasons why I was not selected and try to build on that. ...

The ASCII character codes for the control characters (Start A, Start B, etc.) are not standardized.  The standard defines the relationship between the generated barcode and the barcode reader/scanner.  The...