Why SQL Server?
This Friday Steve Jones asks you how you got started working with SQL Server in your career? Let us know how you got started and why you stuck with it.
SQL Server Statistics Questions We Were Too Shy to Ask
If you need to optimise SQL Server performance, it pays to understand SQL Server Statistics. Grant Fritchey answers some frequently-asked questions about SQL Server Statistics: the ones we somehow feel silly asking in public, and think twice about doing so.
More Evolution, More Complexity
As SQL Server advances and evolves, Steve Jones thinks it gets more complex, not necessarily easier to administer.
Universal Product Codes: a Database Primer
An introduction to Universal Product Codes with code to help you use them in your database.
SSIS Basics: Using the Conditional Split
The Conditional Split can route data rows to different outputs depending on whatever criteria of the data that you wish. It works rather like the SWITCH block in a procedural language. Annette shows how to add a conditional split to your data flow.
Shred XML column using SSIS
This article describes a way using SSIS to shred a XML column from a source table into its respective columns in the destination table.
The Microsoft Sideshow
Microsoft hasn't performed well on the stock market across the last decade, but the company has changed. There are cries that the business has been mismanaged and today Steve Jones has a few comments.
Standardize SQL Server Installations with Configuration Files
If you have a requirement to install multiple SQL Server instances with the same settings, you most likely want to do it without following the numerous manual installation steps. The below tip will guide you through how to install a SQL Server instance with less effort.
Look Beyond the First Result
As computer systems become more complex and dynamic, it's possible that the results we see might not be what we expect. Steve Jones talks about a situation with Orbitz.
SQL Saturday #192 - Tampa
Come and join SQL Saturday Tampa in their new venue (HCC) now that they've outgrown K-Force!
Blogs
Setting Up a Mac for Data Engineering and AI Work
If you work with data pipelines, SQL, notebooks, or machine learning models, a Mac...
Want to look at cloud reporting but not sure what the costs will be?
By ChrisJenkins
Have you been thinking about migrating your reporting to Microsoft Fabric or Snowflake but...
The Joyful Craftsmen and the Revolt BI join forces
The Joyful Craftsmen has become the new owner of Revolt BI. The merger creates...
Forums
SQL Art, Part 4: Happy 4th of July — A British DBA's Guide to Celebrating a War We Don't Talk About
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art, Part 4: Happy...
SQL Server Enum Implementation: A Single-Row View Strategy for Avoiding Magic Values
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server Enum Implementation: A...
BIT_COUNT I
Comments posted to this topic are about the item BIT_COUNT I
Question of the Day
BIT_COUNT I
In SQL Server 2025, I have a table (dbo.UserPermission) that contains this data:
UserID UserPermissions 15 23 37What is returned when I run this code:
select bit_count(UserPermissions) as PermissionCount from dbo.UserPermission where UserID = 3;See possible answers