Jumping Ahead
There are times when you look back and times when you look forward in your career. Sometimes, however, we might try to push forward too fast.
How to Find Out Which Database Object Got Deleted
Greg Larsen shows you how to use the Transaction ID value to identify the object_id for a deleted table.
Responsibility to Learn
“I would educate myself, and that I would never stop educating myself. It was my responsibility to keep learning.” Who said that? Albert Einstein? Da Vinci? Stephen Hawking? None of the above. That statement came from the Demon of the rock band KISS, Gene Simmons. If a rock & roll legend knows that it’s on […]
Is It Time To Stop Using IsNumeric()?
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
We show how to use RevolutionR to analyse & visualise purchasing behaviours in AdventureWorksDW2012.
Is a Temporary Table Really Necessary?
In this article Randy Dyness shows you how to avoid temp tables whenever to maximize the performance of your queries.
Reporting Services Makes Server Support Easier
Reporting Services is one of the most widely used subsystems in SQL Server and there have been some very creative solutions invented by DBAs around the world. New author Carolyn Richardson is one of those, bringing us a implementation that tracks uptime and disk space for her SQL Servers
Understanding the difference between IS NULL and = NULL
This article by James Travis details the differences between IS NULL and = NULL. He also discusses the ANSI_NULLS setting.
Blogs
Moving On-Prem PostgreSQL to the Cloud: Picking the Right Path for Big Tables
Every PostgreSQL migration eventually hits the same fork in the road. The database is...
A Spread of Vacation
By Steve Jones
I’m off on vacation today. Which is a little weird as I just got...
How AgentDBA Identifies Backup Failures
By Arun Sirpal
Every DBA has a box like this. Sitting untouched for months. Nobody’s proud of...
Forums
Have you done a Mid year check in?
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From SQL Server On-Premises to Claude Desktop: How I built a Full MCP Pipeline
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Independence Day 2026
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Independence Day 2026
Question of the Day
Independence Day 2026
In the original Independence Day movie (1996), what type of computer did Jeff Goldblum use to connect to the alien mainframe? Take a guess, don't look it up or ask AI.
See possible answers