FYI, in case you want it, here's the query I use to get an overview of tables, indexes and their sizes:

SELECT

SCHEMA_NAME(o.schema_id) AS Schema_Name,

...

vlad-548036 (1/30/2013)

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Thanks, that's what I initially had on my system. It is apparent now, that there is no way

declare @howMany int=3

insert top (@howMany)

can be used to force insertion...

First, let's be grateful he's a developer,...

Yes, shrinking log file routinely or unnecessarily is bad.

But A log shrink after an unusually extreme amount of activity would not be.

Yep; I'm sure of that too. 100% homework (or bad interview...

No, no syntax errors per se, but that method's not guaranteed to work safely either.

insert dbo.N

output inserted.$identity into #tmp ( i )

default values

go 3

select *

from #tmp

You may or may not need partitioning.

But you absolutely need to determine the proper clustered index for the table.

It's the column(s) you (almost) always specify in a WHERE clause, particularly...

I think you can eliminate the problem, and a full table scan, like below.

Whiile this makes your initial q moot for this specific example, it could naturally still be good...

ChrisM@home (1/29/2013)

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GilaMonster (1/29/2013)

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ChrisM@Work (1/29/2013)

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How many rows in the table? How many rows are you returning? If you are returning more than say 25%* of the rows in the table, SQL...

PiMané (1/29/2013)

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It has many more queries over other columns but I'll check the DMV for the most used indexes and see the one that's best for cluster since the actual...

The real key to performance is the proper clustered index.

If you (almost) always query [dbo].[XmlDataModel] by [ExerciseYear], then cluster by [ExerciseYear] followed by any other column(s) you (almost) always query...

Not 100%, as I don't have any table definition to look at.

But if fromdate and todate are both in the text format above, then something like:

SELECT

...other_columns...

...

select

convert(varchar(20), cast(stuff(substring(string, 5, 15), CHARINDEX(':', substring(string, 5, 15)) - 3, 0, RIGHT(string, 5)) as datetime), 120)

from (

select 'Mon...

Igor Makedon (1/28/2013)

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Fine!

Are the folowing two SELECT statements equvalent (i.e. -- see my original question, -- "return exactly the same row set" no matter "what data is")?

[font="Courier New"]SELECT xx FROM...