I would like to translate some of the Transact-SQL scripts that I use every day, starting with the simple ones like retrieving a list of databases and their properties for auditing purposes.

TRY/CATCH - The Great Way to Handle Exceptions in SQL 2005/8

by HuggyBear

SQLServerCentral.com

Blogs

The goal of this post is to explain how to handle errors thanks to a useful T-SQL functionality, available since SQL 2005 onwards, that developers are already used to – and similar to how exceptions are handled in the Visual Studio environment.

Using the FOR XML Clause to Return Query Results as XML

by Additional Articles

SimpleTalk

The FOR XML clause in SQL Server causes a lot of difficulty, mainly because it is rather poorly explained in Books-on-Line. We challenged Bob Sheldon to make it seem simple. Here is his sublime response.

Roll Your Own Fuzzy Match / Grouping (Jaro Winkler) - T-SQL

by Ira Whiteside

SQLServerCentral.com

Fuzzy Match

Roll Your Own Fuzzy Match / Grouping (Jaro Winkler) - T-SQL

SQLSaturday #17 Call for Speakers

by Press Release

SQLServerCentral.com

SQLSaturday

SQLSaturday #17 will be held Aug 1, 2009 in Baton Rouge, LA. Read more about it.

FILESTREAM Storage in SQL Server 2008

by Additional Articles

TechNet Blogs

FILESTREAM

This white paper describes the FILESTREAM feature of SQL Server 2008, which allows storage of and efficient access to BLOB data using a combination of SQL Server 2008 and the NTFS file system. It covers choices for BLOB storage, configuring Windows and SQL Server for using FILESTREAM data, considerations for combining FILESTREAM with other features, and implementation details such as partitioning and performance.

Security Basics: Understanding the Surface Area

by Brian Kelley

SQLServerCentral.com

Blogs

When it comes to securing a system, it's important to understand how it might be attacked. That's what surface area is all about. The surface area is the parts of the system which are exposed. For instance, in the case of a default instance of...