UPDATE Basics in SQL Server
SQL Server's UPDATE statement is apparently simple, but complications such as the FROM clause can cause puzzlement. Bob Sheldon starts simply, and introduces the more complex forms painlessly.
High End or Low End
Steve Jones talks about the need to perhaps get more depth and breadth to the information that we present at events like SQL Saturday to help people learn at all levels.
Using Ranking Functions to Deduplicate Data
This article from Andrew Riley will show you how you can use the RANK and ROW_NUMBER Ranking Functions to deduplicate data in SQL Server 2005
Dynamic Data Driven Variable Hierarchical Structures in SQL
This article describes data driven variable structure generation in SQL. The controlling data can be located higher up on the hierarchical pathway or can be located further down on the pathway producing a look-ahead operation. Multiple pathways can independently produce dynamic data driven structures and these dynamic structures can be nested allowing a very flexible and powerful dynamic automatic data structure generation capability. These different controls of structure generation can be combined.
Instant File Initialization Speeds SQL Server
Sometimes, its just the smallest of details that can make all the difference. For example, on my test system (see...
Issues with running DBCC SHRINKFILE on your data files
Why would database performance remain low and fragmentation high event though the entire database has been defragmented every night? In this tip we cover how SHRINKFILE works and some of the issues it might create.
Data Distribution - Part 1
The start of a new series from Leo Peysakhovich that looks at some of the issues with moving data around between systems and ensuring that it is in sync between them.
Software Vendor Security
This week Steve Jones finds some issues with the security of third party vendor software.
Thinking Time
It's important to have time to think, but quite often we don't find the time. Steve Jones comments on how he's learned just how valuable this can be.
Top Ten Reasons to Attend the 2010 PASS Community Summit
There are some good reasons to think about attending the 2010 PASS Community Summit.
Blogs
Presenting Twice in May 2026
By alevyinroc
I will be presenting my latest session, Documenting Your Work for Worry-Free Vacations, in-person...
Finding the Next Sequence Value: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
I saw a question asking about the next sequence value and decided to try...
SQL Server Journey Part 2: Modern Era (2017 – 2026) – AI/Cloud First
By Vinay Thakur
Following up on my Part 1 baseline, the journey from 2017 onward changed how...
Forums
Auto Update Statistics not triggering on filtered indexes
I've got a table with 186,703,969 rows, about 300GB of data. There are several...
What is the difference between SQL Server and SQL Database?
I created a SQL Database in Azure Portal but I've just noticed it also...
An Unusual Identity
Comments posted to this topic are about the item An Unusual Identity
Question of the Day
An Unusual Identity
What values are returned when I run this code?
CREATE TABLE dbo.IdentityTest2
(
id NUMERIC(10,0) IDENTITY(10,10) PRIMARY KEY,
somevalue VARCHAR(20)
)
GO
INSERT dbo.IdentityTest2
(
somevalue
)
VALUES
( 'Steve')
, ('Bill')
GO
SELECT top 10
id
FROM dbo.IdentityTest2 See possible answers