2026-03-04
3,534 reads
database
Formatting Dates and Times: The SQL Dialect Divide
If you’ve ever had to format dates and times in SQL, you’ve probably come across one of the most jarring realities of working across platforms: every major RDBMS does it differently and sometimes confusingly. What’s a TO_CHAR() in Oracle becomes FORMAT() or CONVERT() in SQL Server, and its sort of the same in PostgreSQL… but […]
2025-07-11
262 reads
SQL Database Project in Azure Data Studio
Learn how to create and modify a database project in Azure Data Studio.
2025-02-10
1,973 reads
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.
2024-04-12
3,770 reads
Forget the Models, Your Data is the Secret Sauce for Generative AI
Generative AI holds immense potential for businesses, but its success depends on the quality of your data. High-quality, strategically managed data is essential for building trustworthy, unique, and competitive AI applications. This article explores how AI leverages your data through embeddings, outlines best practices for data management, and emphasizes the importance of responsible AI development. By prioritizing data quality and effective management, you'll position your business to reap the full benefits of Generative AI and drive innovation.
2024-02-21
3,079 reads
SQL Window Functions Series: LAG() and LEAD()
Dive deep into the powerful SQL window functions, LAG() and LEAD(). Explore their intricacies, discover real-world examples, and avoid common pitfalls.
2023-12-11
11,882 reads
Different Ways to Populate the List of Tables
This article shows how you can query different types of tables, based on certain criteria that may be important to you. A good list of basics for any database administrator that will help you find tables in your database.
2023-10-06
2,057 reads
The SELECT Statement in Oracle
The SELECT statement is used to retrieve information from a database. Following the execution of a SELECT statement, a tabular result is held in a result table (called a result set). It allows you to select the table columns depending on a set of criteria. In this article, I will introduce the basic SELECT statement fetching data from just one table.
2023-06-21
7 ways businesses can improve the quality and speed of database releases
This article explains how these ‘ephemeral databases’ can be used to improve development and testing processes in ways that reduce the number of bugs entering the deployment pipeline, drive up the quality of database releases, and so improve the reliability and speed of database deployments to production.
2023-05-15
How to Find the SQL Server Instance Startup Time
Learn a number of methods to view or programmatically get the SQL Server instance startup time.
2023-05-12
9,632 reads
Blogs
Announcements from the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference — Barcelona 2026
By James Serra
Microsoft shared a broad set of Fabric, Power BI, and SQL updates at FabCon...
Au Revoir for now
By Steve Jones
No, I’m not quitting or retiring. Just going on vacation, but I leave tonight...
Forums
Let's Talk Certifications
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Let's Talk Certifications, which is...
The Hidden Security Risks of Role Combination in SSAS Tabular
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Hidden Security Risks of...
The Empty Aggregate
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Empty Aggregate
Question of the Day
The Empty Aggregate
I have this table in a SQL Server 2025 database:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[CustomerOrder] ( [OrderID] [int] NULL, [CustomerID] [int] NULL, [total] [money] NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GOWhat is returned from this code? (answers are for the sum and then the count)
SELECT SUM(total) AS sum,
COUNT(total) AS count
FROM dbo.CustomerOrder;
See possible answers