Easy or Hard
How should we build tools? Should they be easy to use? Or does it make sense to have some things hard to do so that only experienced used choose them. Steve Jones comments on usability and the implications of your choices.
Easy or Hard
How should we build tools? Should they be easy to use? Or does it make sense to have some things hard to do so that only experienced used choose them. Steve Jones comments on usability and the implications of your choices.
Converting Hexadecimal String Values to Alpha (ASCII) Strings
In an interesting exercise in data conversion, Stephen Lasham brings us a nice article on basic manipulations.
Free Encryption
Free SQL Server 2000 Encryption for your data!!! Author Michael Coles has put together a tolljit and some XPs that you can use to encrypt your data with the Blowfish algorithm. It is hard to write good applications that encrpyt data and manage the keys and security. This will give you a great headstart on protecting your data.
Seeing Double
SQL Server allows some interesting index behavior and there's been some debate over whether it makes sense or not. This Friday Steve Jones asks if you have a reason for this.
International Features in Microsoft SQL Server 2005
This white paper introduces Microsoft SQL Server developers to the international features of Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Topics covered include an explanation of Unicode, added support for supplementary characters in SQL Server 2005, the changes in collation in different versions of SQL Server, changes in data types, performance, updates on data providers, and new international support features in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services and Integration Services.
TSQL Spam-killer
In which Phil takes a break from a tedious bit of routine coding to build a Spam Filter in SQL.
Retrieve XML data values with XQuery in SQL Server 2005
Use XQuery scripting language to retrieve specific XML data type values in SQL Server. Learn to script and use Value() and Query() to retrieve single and multiple XML values.
Blogs
Methodology for dealing with bad data in production
By Brian Kelley
Pinal Dave wrote up his methodology for what to do when you discover bad...
How to Provision an Azure SQL Database
Aside from spinning up a SQL Server instance container, the free Azure SQL Database...
Claude finds two cryptographic weaknesses (but the sky isn’t falling)
By Brian Kelley
If you haven't seen the announcement, Anthropic was able to utilize Claude (Mythos Preview)...
Forums
Why SQL Server Database Attach fails and how to repair it
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Why SQL Server Database Attach...
Fixing P1 Queries
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Fixing P1 Queries
BIT_COUNT() IV
Comments posted to this topic are about the item BIT_COUNT() IV
Question of the Day
BIT_COUNT() IV
In SQL Server 2025, I run this code:
select bit_count('A')
What is returned? See possible answers