How to avoid nested REPLACE functions with TRANSLATE in SQL Server
This guide covers how TRANSLATE() works, how it compares to REPLACE(), and where it falls short compared to other SQL dialects like PostgreSQL and Oracle.
Importing Excel files into SQL Server using DuckDB and Python
Learn to use DuckDB to read data from Excel and then send it to SQL Server with Python and Pandas.
Measuring Productivity
Today Steve wonders if the data professionals out there measure themselves on the job.
Database Animations: The Difference Between Row Compression and Page Compression
What's the difference between SQL Server's row compression and page compression, and when does each one make sense?
How Can SQL Server Detect Application Errors When Developers Can’t?
How a simple Extended Events session can turn you from a silent guardian to a developer’s best ally. There is an old, undeniable paradox in the life of a Database Administrator: If you do your job perfectly, nobody remembers you exist, only when you resolve problems. When queries are fast, backups are pristine, and the […]
Preserving Data
Today Steve has a few comments on backups and your ability to get to a restore in the event of an issue with your provider.
Configure SSMS Dark Mode Step By Step
You’re using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and would like to use Dark Mode. You’ve looked at the configuration options and don’t see a way to configure it.
When the Token Meter is Zero
DBAKevlar disccusses the new product from Perplexity and Nvidia that just shipped on August 25th. If you haven’t been paying attention its goal is businesses whose entire generative AI solution has been what the AI bubble is betting on.
Understanding Temp Tables and Table Variables in SQL Server
Introduction When building application backends or processing complex data sets in a SQL Server, we frequently need a temporary storage to hold the intermediate query results. For example: Store filtered rows before joining them to another table Hold calculation results inside a stored procedure Break a complex query into smaller readable steps Process a small […]
Blogs
Don’t Fear the Technology
By Brian Kelley
The concern that a particular technology is going to destroy the world seems to...
Creating a Custom SQL Server Security Checklist Using the DoD STIG
The STIG is detailed, which is a good thing, but I found myself wanting...
Creating a Local Model Chatbot on Windows
By Steve Jones
After my session at VSLive last week, I had a few questions from the...
Forums
RegEx Functions III
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Optimized Locking in SQL Server 2025: Fewer Locks, Less Blocking, and the Cases It Cannot Fix
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Finely Tuned Models
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Question of the Day
RegEx Functions III
If I run the REGEXP_LIKE() function, does it match values in a case-sensitive fashion, or a case-insensitive fashion by default.
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