The IT Explosion
So many people are joining the IT industry all the time and Steve Jones talks about the attitudes that they bring with them.
Using "Multiple Assignment Variables" for a Generic Compare Data Script
Comparing data between tables seems like a simple thing to do, but it can eat up a lot of a SQL Server professional's time. Stephen Tirone shows how multiple assignment variables can be used to make this task a little easier.
Best Practices for Exception Handling and Defensive Programming in Microsoft SQL Server
This is a deep dive developer session that explores error handling in SQL Server. The session focuses on core error handling areas such as understandign the anatomy of errors, detecting errors in TSQL and best practices for error handling and defensive programming in Microsoft SQL Server. tuesday, 1/26, 8:00am EST
Indexes Out the Window
I ran into a peculiarly puzzling situation with a query I have been tuning of late. The query runs some...
Performance Analysis Using SQL Server 2008 Activity Monitor Tool
While looking through the new features and improvements in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio (SSMS) we found a potentially interesting one called Activity Monitor. Database developers and Database Administrators can use Activity Monitor to get a quick overview of an SQL Server 2008 system performance. Can you give us a detailed explanation of how we go about using Activity Monitor?
Celko's SQL Stumper: The Class Scheduling Problem
What can we use in SQL instead of E. F. Codd's T theta operators for best-fit? Joe Celko returns with another puzzle that isn't new, in fact it already features “Swedish”, “Croatian” and “Colombian” solutions in chapter 17 of Joe's 'SQL for Smarties' book. These were all written before CTEs or the new WINDOW functions. Is there now a better solution? Was there one even then? We leave it to the readers to provide the answer!
Fast normalization of a denormalized data source, using surrogate IDs
A cursor-free way of normalizing data from a denormalized data source into a database which uses "surrogate" IDs.
Keeping up with Technology
Phil Factor believes that we have become so immersed in the idea that administrators or accountants can run technical enterprises, unaided, that we are in danger of forgetting the vital creative contribution of the technologist.
We'll go no more a' tibbling
Phil Factor points out the limitations and irritations of Hungarian Notation.
Blogs
A Career of Memories
By Steve Jones
Annabel retired from Redgate Software this week. Across most of my career at Redgate,...
Rethinking Index Maintenance: Why avg_fragmentation_in_percent Is Outdated and What You Should Do Instead
By Tim Radney
As a SQL Server DBA with years of experience tuning production environments, I’ve seen...
Microsoft Build 2026 announcements
By James Serra
Once again there were a number of Microsoft Build announcements related to data and...
Forums
Changes, Happiness, and a Few Tears
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Changes, Happiness, and a Few...
BCP on Linux
Comments posted to this topic are about the item BCP on Linux
You Probably Don't Need a Vector Database
Comments posted to this topic are about the item You Probably Don't Need a...
Question of the Day
BCP on Linux
When running bcp on Linux, what is the field terminator?
See possible answers