Thanks, Antares!

IF OBJECT_ID('sometablename,'U') IS NOT NULL

DROP TABLE sometablename

Lookup OBJECT_ID in Books Online... it's worth the read. 😉

Heh... you've basically pulled the wings off of any chance of performance by using outside code to do something inside the database... you said that you want to import 26MB...

Heh... Michael, thank you for the high compliment! Made my day... 🙂

o1000, Michael is correct... what you want to do just seems tremedously odd and I want to see...

Heh... if you're worried that it will affect the data returned, you need to test!

And the position of the AND somecol = someval code does make a difference...

Since the numbers you want are 1 to 354 and not 0 to 353, you'll probably have to change John's code just a bit...

UPDATE Random_region_lookup_table

SET Place_key = Entry_key%354

... should probably...

This is a fairly common request and it always amazes me that folks would have two identical tables and be worried about synching up their contents. The only time...

Catcha,

Someone tried to force some serious tuning on that query... the FORCE ORDER tells the optimizer to only consider the tables in the same order as they appear in the...

Are the random numbers allowed to repeat within a generation and are others allowed to be missing as would a true random number provide?

Uh huh... sure does. Thanks, Matt 🙂

Heh... I appreciate the feedback and, if you look at my post, I agree... I was trying to point out that Books Online leaves a bit to be desired in...

Gosh... I wouldn't use that on a bet... it's got a cursor with some steroid rage going on. I suppose it's ok for...

Heh... I know what you mean, Pam... I've just got this insatiable curiosity... 😀

So, what say thee o1000? Why do you need to make over 300 NVARCHAR(MAX) columns?

Also, to help you with the "dame good technical answers" for the "dame" good interview, test, or homework question ;), you really should turn to Books Online. A simple...

I agree with David although Carl is spot on technically... lot's of folks think of a "work table" as a sort of permanent temp table where no damage will be...