The old system function IsNumeric() often causes exasperation to a developer who is unfamiliar with the quirks of Transact SQL. It seems to think a comma or a number with a 'D' in the midde of it is a number. Phil Factor explains that though IsNumeric has its bugs, it real vice is that it doesn't tell you which of the numeric datatypes the string parameter can be coerced into, and because it doesn't check for overflow. Phil comes to the rescue with a couple of useful alternatives, one of which works whatever version of SQL Server you have, and which tell you what datatype the string can be converted to.

Analysing Sales Patterns: R + SQL Server

by Nick Burns

SQLServerCentral.com

RevolutionR

We show how to use RevolutionR to analyse & visualise purchasing behaviours in AdventureWorksDW2012.

Failed Projects

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral.com

Editorial

This week's poll asks about your failures in software.

Database Code Analysis

by Additional Articles

SimpleTalk

Code Analysis

Database code analysis will reduce the number of 'code smells' that creep into your database builds. It will alert the team to mistakes or omissions, such as missing indexes, that are likely to cause performance problems in production. It will allow the Governance and Operations team visibility into production readiness of the code, warning them of security loopholes and vulnerabilities. William Brewer describes the two technical approaches to database code analysis, static and dynamic, and suggests some tools that can help you get started.

Opinions and Votes

by Steve Jones

SQLServerCentral.com

Editorial

When we look to improve software, we are often expressing our opinion on which items need to be handled first. It's helpful to keep in mind that it's an opinion being expressed, and not a vote, no matter how much it is solicited by a company.

How to Read a Transaction Log Backup

by Additional Articles

SQLServerCentral

Transaction Log

The transaction log backup is stored in SQL Server proprietary format, just like the transaction log itself. Even though the transaction log backup is in a special format, Microsoft has provided us with the fn_dump_dblog() function to read transaction log backups. This function is undocumented, so you should use care when using this function in a production environment.

SQL Crossword #2 SELECT Keywords

by Kenneth Fisher

SQLServerCentral.com

Editorial

Crossword Puzzle on SELECT Keywords

Monitoring Azure Cloud and Hybrid Environments

by Additional Articles

SimpleTalk

Azure

Cloud-based services and applications must still be monitored just like the on-premise ones. You still need most of your data center activities that ensure that your planning, budgeting, security and service-level obligations are met wherever the data and services are actually hosted. There is much to be said for an integrated approach to providing a unified view of entire application workloads on-premise. hybrid and cloud using the same tools wherever possible.