Breaking Down DENSE_RANK(): A Step-by-Step Guide for SQL Enthusiasts
Learn how it works and how to use the DENSE_RANK() function in your code.
Department of Redundancy Department
Ever wonder all the reasons that we use databases instead of file systems? While we don’t think of it too much anymore, the first reason that databases came into existence was to remove redundancies.
Stairway to Advanced T-SQL Level 4: Record Level Processing Using Transact-SQL Cursors
Using a CURSOR is not normally the best way to process through a set of records. Yet when a seasoned programmer moves to writing TSQL for the first time they frequently look for ways to process a sets of records one row at a time. They do this because they are not used to thinking about processing records as a set. In order to process through a TSQL record set a row at a time you can use a cursor. A cursor is a record set that is defined with the DECLARE CURSOR statement. Cursors can be defined as either read-only or updatable. In this article I will introduce you to using cursors to do record level processing one row at a time.
The Code Freeze
Today Steve discusses code freezes, those times when you don't allow changes to be made by developers.
SQL Server Plan Cache Bloat Performance Impacts
Learn about the SQL Server plan cache and how SQL Server caches query plans, and the potential of plan cache bloat which could impact performance.
Joining Queries in Azure Data Factory on Cosmos DB Sources
This article shows how you can use two Cosmos DB dataets in Azure Data Factory and join them on a common column.
Option Recompile is a Magic Turbo Button That Actually Works.
Guy Glantser is an Israeli SQL Server guru with a ton of great presentations on YouTube. I’ve had the privilege of hanging out with him in person a bunch of times over the year, and I’ll always get excited to do it again. He’s not just smart, but he’s friendly and funny as hell.
To Each Their Own
I recently came back from a trip to Las Vegas. I was privileged to be able to take part in the very first Fabric Community Conference. It was a great event, well attended. BUT... It was in Las Vegas. I am not a fan. First of all, Vegas is just far too noisy for me. […]
Blogs
Stupid Things I Did With AI: ASCII Art
By Steve Jones
I ran across this article recently (https://www.gatesnotes.com/meet-bill/source-code/reader/microsoft-original-source-code) and it has a great opening piece...
Simple Talks Podcasting in 2026
By Steve Jones
I’m in the UK today, having arrived this morning in London. Hopefully, by this...
SSMS 22 still inserting tabs instead of spaces
I’m not trying to start up a debate whether you should use tabs or...
Forums
Cumulative Update 23 - KB5074819 - Database Mail - No longer working.
Hi there, Has anyone else had any trouble with Database Mail in Cumulative Update...
Script Task execution error with HTTP request
I have a script task that tries to execute a HTTP request, which seems...
SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer Edition
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer...
Question of the Day
URL Safe or Not?
If I use BASE4_ENCODE() in SQL Server 2025, is the output URL Safe by default?
See possible answers