I you're quoting URLs, may I give a plug for Database Design Workbench - Keys (19 September 2008) [/url] which we wrote because we felt a bit confused by the...

It wasn't me, but Robyn,

Robyn Page's SQL Server Cursor Workbench (24 January...

I like both approaches to the problem. They both have a refreshing spark of originality.

I'm not entirely sure if I completely agree with all Hugo's objections, though I share his...

Anith Sen collected together a lot of techniques to do this sort of delimited list in this article here http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/t-sql-programming/concatenating-row-values-in-transact-sql/ which is well worth a look. Many of these will...

Yes, Some good points, Gail.

It is true that SQL Server 2008 provides some very good auditing facilities, and they're not bad in SQL Server 2005. However, the argument cuts both...

Some interesting points here.

My feeling about this, and it comes from experience, is that the most sensible response to this sort of predicament is to be as helpful and cooperative...

Ross,

Yes, you make some good points here. A defined and explicit document retention Policy is the DBA's best protection. The DBA is, I believe, pretty safe if his disposal of...

Andy,

Eeek! Yes, but I'll say at the start that I won on every occasion.

It was an extremely painful process, especially when they demand all your data without being specific,...

[p]I had a certain sympathy with this article in its nostalgic harking-back to the days of the old BASIC arrays. (actually, very few BASIC implementations got as far as Matrix...

ESTEEMED SIR,

I AM THE EXECUTOR OF THE FORMER HEAD OF THE SECRET SERVICE IN THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF ELBONIA. THIS FINE PERSON HAS NO TRACEABLE BENEFICIARIES. I AM HONOURED TO...

You can do a lot of this by simply using VBA from Excel. I've done it both ways. If the structure and formatting of the spreadsheet requires knowledge of the...

I realise I'm a bit off-topic, as what you are aiming to do here is a semi-manual process. but all the things you do here, and more, can be done...

[p]David,[/p]

[p]Yes, I do them for free. [/p]

[p]...and your analogy with cars and suchlike won't...

I play the Ukulele when programs are compiling or a long query is going on. (strangely enough, I seem to be able to avoid being required to be in open-office...

[p]This has had me scratching my head a bit, as I can't see how this is going to help tackle the insidious dynamic errors, such as deadlocking, that happen in...