You could also likely work around changing the db code using views, if changing the code is just too difficult to do quickly by hand.  Typically that doesn't cause performance...

Yes.

EXEC sys.sp_rename 'dbo.table_name.column_name', 'new_column_name', 'COLUMN'

for each table column that you want to rename.

OOPS, quite right, I should have used ">=" and "<" rather than "BETWEEN".

I have NOT uber-tuned this, just trying to get something that works (so many people here obsess over every microsecond).  If you have a lot of rows, more tuning might...

SELECT G.Gage_ID 'ID', G.Model_No 'Model', L.LocationName 'Room', D.GageDescriptionName 'Desc',C.Calibration_DateTime 'Cal', G.Gage_SN 'S/N', S.StatusName 'Status', C.NextDue 'Due'

FROM GAGETRAK.Gages G

JOIN GAGETRAK.Locations L ON G.StorageLocation_RID_FK=L.Location_RID

JOIN GAGETRAK.GageDescriptions D ON G.GageDescription_RID_FK=D.GageDescription_RID

JOIN GAGETRAK.Status S ON G.Status_RID_FK=S.Status_RID...

(Nested) loop joins are a concern, particularly if SQL doesn't properly estimate the number of...

If you select the query code, right-click on it, and then select "Display Estimated Execution Plan", you should see any recommended index

SELECT B.*, CASE WHEN A.ServerName IS NULL THEN 'Not present in Table A' 
    ELSE 'Present in Table A' END AS Comment
FROM TableB B
LEFT...

ALTER procedure db.ToolReduceLogFileSize
    @db_name nvarchar(128),
    @size_mb int = 1024
AS
SET NOCOUNT ON;
DECLARE @sql nvarchar(max);
SET @sql = 'USE [' + @db_name + '];...

More technically, you need permissions for whatever account SQL Server is running under.

It doesn't.  It's the "+=" that causes the msgs to "accumulate" (concatenate).

For example, if you do this:

DECLARE @msg varchar(max);

DECLARE...

You can check for NULL as well in either format:

DECLARE @LATEST_DATE date;

SELECT @LATEST_DATE = ISNULL(MAX(MY_DATE), ...) FROM DBO.TABLE

I think you'll have to check for that yourself, maybe something like this:

SELECT CASE WHEN TRY_CONVERT(DECIMAL(9,6),'6.125') <> TRY_CONVERT(DECIMAL(5,2),'6.125') THEN 'Loss of precision error' ELSE 'Good' END

SELECT CASE...

Either below; the first  is more typical:

DECLARE @LATEST_DATE DATE;

SELECT @LATEST_DATE = MAX(MY_DATE) FROM DBO.TABLE

--or:

SET @LATEST_DATE = (SELECT MAX(MY_DATE) FROM DBO.TABLE);

It depends.  If the unused space is significant and is embedded in pages that are being read, i.e. contain live data, then it could slow down access (somewhat) because more...