Starting a New Job
Steve Jones talks about starting a new job and the need to get up to speed quickly, perhaps by being prepared on day 1.
Bowled Over by SQL Window Functions
What better way to learn how to construct complex CHECK CONSTRAINTs, use the SQL 2012 window frame capability of the OVER clause and LEAD analytic function, as well as how to pivot rows into columns using a crosstab query? Create the SQL code to score Ten-pin Bowling, of course. Dwain Camps explains the how, what and why.
Ship Safe...Ship Often
How can we ship safe, and ship often? Steve Jones has a few comments on the need for better engineering.
Using SQL Server's GROUP BY clause to Summarize your Data
SQL Server’s GROUP BY clause provides you a way to aggregate your SQL Server data and to group data on a single column, multiple columns, or even expressions. Greg Larsen discusses how to use the GROUP by clause to summarize your data.
SQL Bits and Community Superheroes
Chris Testa-O'Neil on the origins of SQL Bits and the joys of community events.
The Quickest Guide to Getting Started with PowerPivot
If you are still on the edge about PowerPivot and have not given it a shot, this article will get you started with ample of screen shots and a step-by-step guide.
Questions About T-SQL Control-of-Flow Language You Were Too Shy to Ask
Surely, we all know how T-SQL Control-of-flow language works? In fact it is surprisingly easy to get caught out. What, for example, do the BREAK, RETURN and CONTINUE keywords do in their various contexts? Robert Sheldon has the answers to this and other questions.
Data Mining Part 24: SQL Profiler and Data Mining
In this chapter we will detect the Data Mining activity using SQL Server Profiler.
Data Mining Part 24: SQL Profiler and Data Mining
In this chapter we will detect the Data Mining activity using SQL Server Profiler.
Programming Rules and 'Best Practices' Can't Replace Professional Judgement
In which Phil Factor casts doubts on 'programming policies'. For certain, any IT team development requires plenty of methods of working that maximise productivity, but coding standards and ‘best practices’ have to be treated with caution. Programming rules can’t replace professional judgement
Blogs
The SUM of Nothing: #SQLNewBlogger
By Steve Jones
I caught this interesting item over on Pinal Dave’s blog: Eleven Interview Questions that...
How to Move the SSMS Status Bar to the Top and Color-Code SQL Server Connections
By Hemantgiri
I use color-coded connections in SSMS to distinguish Production, Pre-Production, UAT, and Development. But...
Forums
Split Large Queries in Athena with a Simple Modulo Trick
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Split Large Queries in Athena...
Finding Trailing Spaces
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Finding Trailing Spaces
Question of the Day
Finding Trailing Spaces
I have some data in a SQL Server 2025 database. It looks like this for the dbo.Customer table:
CustomerID CustomerName PreferredName 1 Steve Steve 2 Andy Andy 3 Brian Brian 4 Allan Allan 5 Devin Devin 6 Steve Steve 7 Sally SallyI want to detect which names have a single trailing space. The CustomerName is a varchar() and the PreferredName is a CHAR(). Does this query detect the problem rows?
SELECT
CustomerID,
CustomerName,
PreferredName
FROM Customer
WHERE CustomerName <> RTRIM(CustomerName)
OR PreferredName <> RTRIM(PreferredName); See possible answers