TSQL Challenge 54 - Find the longest matching area code
Your job is to write a query that identifies the longest matching country/area code from each phone number based on the information stored in an area-code reference table.
Clean unused space when a variable-length column is dropped from a SQL Server table or indexed view
Whenever rows or columns are deleted from a table, SQL Server reuses space to accommodate new data. However, this is not the case when a variable length column is deleted. The space used by this type of column is not reclaimed automatically. Variable length columns can be of data types varchar, nvarchar, varchar(max), nvarchar(max), varbinary, varbinary(max), text, ntext, image, sql_variant, and xml. In this tip, I have tried to put forth a solution to reclaim this space and this should work for SQL 2005 and later versions.
SQL Transparent Hierarchical Processing of Relational, XML and IMS Data
The SQL-92 standard introduced the LEFT Outer Join operation which offers a powerful alternative to standard relational processing to perform full hierarchical processing naturally and inherently. This enables SQL to transparently integrate relational data with XML, IMS and other forms of legacy hierarchical data. This can also allow the so far overlooked integration of IMS and legacy data with the Internet and XML, and visa versa.
The DBA of the Future
Today we have a guest editorial from Andy Warren that talks about what DBAs might need to know in the future.
Read and Write Binary Files in SQL Server with CLR
You are a database developer looking for a common approach for handling read and write access to binary files. You may be a DBA wanting to read various information from binary files and collect it into tables. The code sample presented in this tip will get you started with binary file content handling in SQL Server.
PAAS
Platform as a service, a new way of looking at applications. It's analogous to SAAS and IAAS, which can improve the efficiency of the software purchase or the hardware acquisition process. Steve Jones notes that this is something he'd like to see for database platforms.
SQLServerCentral Best Practices Clinic: Part 2
In part 2 of our best practices clinic, Brad McGehee looks at a couple of the items that were misconfigured on the SQLServerCentral database instances.
Manage and Monitor Identity Ranges in SQL Server Transactional Replication
This article demonstrates how to prevent primary key violation issues in transactional replication.
Mid April Free Training from PASS VCs
Free training sessions brought to you by the AppDev and BI Virtual Chapters of PASS.
Blogs
Learn about Modern Microsoft Apps in San Diego
By Steve Jones
I wrote about learning today for the editorial: I Can’t Make You Learn. I...
How To Deploy Fabric SQL and Azure SQL Databases with Azure DevOps
By ReviewMyDB
Fabric has CI/CD built in, but if you've tried to use it for database...
A New Word: Attriage
By Steve Jones
attriage – n. the state of having lost all control over how you feel...
Forums
SSRS Reminded Me of the Time Microsoft Retired TMG
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SSRS Reminded Me of the...
Getting results from a Procedure to join to a query
I have a need to execute a stored procedure and return the results to...
Upgrade 2016 Standard to 2022 Express
Title pretty much says it all - can this be done? I've tried several...
Question of the Day
BIT_COUNT II
In SQL Server 2025, I have a table (dbo.UserPermission) that contains this data:
UserID UserPermissions 15 23 37 4 NULLWhat is returned when I run this code:
select bit_count(UserPermissions) as PermissionCount from dbo.UserPermission where UserID = 4;See possible answers