SQL for 8-year-old Math…But Be Careful of Implicit Type Conversion
How we can use SQL to solve a math problem published in The Guardian...but with a caution about implicit type conversion.
How to Get NULLs Horribly Wrong in SQL Server
NULLs in SQL are a mixed blessing. The Three-Valued Logic of SQL has its uses but can cause difficulties to anyone who assumes that NULL has a 'value'. It can make reports go horribly wrong in a number of alarming ways, as Robert Sheldon explains.
Automating SSIS Design Pattern - Stage Delimited Flat File
How long does it take to create to 100 staging packages? The answer will shock you!
Trust People
Steve Jones thinks that we are not doing a great job of harnessing the brain power of our entire teams.
Knee-Jerk Wait Statistics : CXPACKET
With another entry in his knee-jerk series on wait statistics, Paul Randal (@PaulRandal) explains CXPACKET and why it may or may not be a problem.
Data Loss or Downtime
This Friday Steve Jones has a DR poll. He asks what might be more important to you in a disaster and why.
FORMAT() is nice and all, but…
Aaron Bertrand compares multiple date formatting techniques, demonstrating again that SQL Server's FORMAT() is not worth the convenience.
Data Mining Part 30: System Views
Sometimes we need to retrieve system information from our data mining models. In this chapter, we will show how to do it using system views.
Blogs
ISACA AI Material/Exam Prep Discount (May 18 – June 30, 2026)
By Brian Kelley
If you are considering any of the ISACA AI certs like the Advanced Artificial...
A Fabric solution can be very cost effective
By ChrisJenkins
Are you currently using Microsoft Fabric or considering migrating to it? If so, there...
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log
By SQLPals
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log If you...
Forums
We Are Eating Our Own Seed Corn
Comments posted to this topic are about the item We Are Eating Our Own...
Before Using AI with Business Data, Read This
Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of daily business operations, from document analysis...
Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines That Don't Break at Scale
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines...
Question of the Day
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
In the Database Engine, when a deadlock is detected, what does the detection interval shrink to (in time)?
See possible answers