Stored procedure: Search character columns for a given string
This tip continues the system stored procedure series with a routine to find occurrences of a string in the character columns of selected tables.
Query Analyzer Extended
SQL Server has the best client tools for a DBA of any RDBMS and SQL Server 2000 includes Query Analyzer, an amazing tool. There are a few places where this tool could use some improvement and Yakov Shlafman brings us a few ways that you make your work with Query Analyzer even smoother.
Minimizing the need to restore a backup
The second installment of this series discussed the cost of maintaining systems with various levels of downtime, ways data can be lost, and what constitutes a backup. In this installment, I discuss how to configure your hardware to minimize the need to restore a backup.
Manipulating Text Columns
One of the lesser used features of SQL Server is the work with text variables. These data types cannot always be manipulated with regular T-SQL. Raj Vasant brings us an introductory look at the various functions you can use to work with these fields.
File Watcher Task
The File Watcher Task does what it says really, it watches a folder waiting for files. When an available file is found the task completes, returning the name of the file for later use.
The task will detect changes to existing files as well as new files, both actions will cause the file to be found when available. A file is available when the task can open it exclusively. This is important for files that take a long time to be written, such as large files, or those that are just written slowly or delivered via a slow network link.
Database Design and Reference Tables
Whether you are building SQL Server 2000 applications or getting ready for the new features in SQL Server 2005, there are many fundamental database design principals that should be followed. New author Ranga Narasimhan brings us a look at how he handles reference tables when designing a database..
"TOP" Clause in SQL Server 2005
We all know the "TOP" clause returns the first n number of rows or percentage of rows thereby limiting the number of resulting rows displayed when we are selecting rows in a table.
SQL Server 2005 is packed with new features and enhancements. One of the enhancements in SQL 2005 that we are going to see is the clause, "TOP." The "TOP" clause will now allow us to do Data Manipulation and also allow similar criteria results to be displayed by using the TIES option.
Enterprise Manager Tricks for Newbies
SQL Server 2000 has a great set of administrative and development tools, one of the most heavily used of which is Enterprise Manager. Sushila Iyer brings us a fantastic article with some tricks in using this tool to create and manipulate tables.
A Call to Arms
Long anticipated, the arrival of radically restructured database architectures is now finally at hand.
SQL Server Spotlight on Donald Farmer
Continuing with the humanization of the amazing team hard at work on SQL Server, Steve Jones takes a few minutes with Donald Farmer, BI guru.
Blogs
In-Person CISA Training – April 13-16, 2026
By Brian Kelley
I will be leading an in-person Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam prep class...
EightKB 2026
EightKB is back again for 2026! The biggest online SQL Server internals conference is...
The FinOps Lifecycle: From Budgeting to Reporting
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Working in DevOps long enough teaches you two universal truths: That’s exactly why I...
Forums
VS Code, Unresolved References.
Hi all, I just started using VS Code to work with DB projects. I...
Fun with JSON II
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Fun with JSON II
Changing Data Types
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Changing Data Types
Question of the Day
Fun with JSON II
I have some data in a table:
CREATE TABLE #test_data
(
id INT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(100),
birth_date DATE
);
-- Step 2: Insert rows
INSERT INTO #test_data
VALUES
(1, 'Olivia', '2025-01-05'),
(2, 'Emma', '2025-03-02'),
(3, 'Liam', '2025-11-15'),
(4, 'Noah', '2025-12-22');
If I run this query, how many rows are returned?
SELECT t1.[key] AS row,
t2.*
FROM OPENJSON(
(
SELECT t.* FROM #test_data AS t FOR JSON PATH
)
) t1
CROSS APPLY OPENJSON(t1.value) t2; See possible answers