Technical Article

Maintaining a grouped running MAX (or MIN)

If you're on SQL Server 2012 or greater, you definitely want to become familiar with all of the extensions to the windowing functions first introduced in SQL Server 2005 – they may give you some pretty serious performance boosts when revisiting code that is still running "the old way." Aaron Bertrand explains.

External Article

SQLXML Bulk Loader: The Sequel

SQLXML isn't exactly new technology, and parts of it aren't pretty, but if you need to heave vast quantities of XML data into a SQL Server database then you may come to appreciate the raw speed of which it's capable. Adam Aspin shows how to configure the SQL XML Bulk Loader tool for optimal data loading performance.

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Webinar: Redgate Database Lifecycle Management (DLM) Demo

SSC's Steve Jones will show you how Redgate's DLM solution works to improve your database development and deployment processes. You'll see how to version control your databases from SSMS to track and understand changes, include your database in your Continuous Integration process to get quick feedback, automate your database deployment process to have safe, reliable, repeatable deployments, and more.

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Question of the Day

Fixing the Error

On SQL Server 2025, I have a database that has this collation: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. I decide I want to run this code:

SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C*3068 and good night', '*') AS 'A Classic';
I get this error:Msg 9844, Level 16, State 4, Line 24 The char/varchar input type uses an unsupported collation. Only a UTF8 collation is supported with char/varchar input type in UNISTR function.What is the easiest way to fix this error?

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