Learn about an alternative strategy for avoiding hardcoded literal values in SQL Server queries by using single-row views designed to mimic enum behavior.
2026-06-26
2,538 reads
As database development scales across multiple contributors, concurrency becomes an inherent aspect of the process. Changes that are individually correct may still conflict when developed against a shifting baseline. This level introduces a disciplined approach to managing parallel changesets by controlling their scope, identifying overlap, and resolving conflicts through realignment. By ensuring that only one changeset retains its original baseline while others are adapted accordingly, deployments remain predictable and consistent. Once released, changesets are treated as immutable, and further evolution proceeds through new, forward-only changes.
2026-06-24
1,017 reads
This level examines how a rehearsed changeset is transformed into production-ready deployment artifacts. By consolidating scripts into controlled execution units and validating the resulting artifacts, the approach ensures that production deployment remains predictable and aligned with what was proven during rehearsal.
2026-06-11 (first published: 2026-06-10)
1,011 reads
Introduction When developers first learn SQL aggregation, they usually start with the GROUP BY clause. It works well for summary reports because it combines multiple rows into a single result for each group. For example, you can calculate total sales per region or average salary per department. The limitation of GROUP BY appears when you […]
2026-06-05
3,738 reads
Learn a quick way to calculate distances without resorting to spatial calculations.
2026-05-08
2,203 reads
Level 2 formalizes the behavioral guarantees that a changeset must provide in order to be safely deployed and rolled back. It introduces the deployment contract, checkpoint semantics, and the structural scope of Create and Rollback scripts. Data changes are addressed through a dedicated Update mechanism, with clear boundaries and limitations. By the end of this level, a changeset becomes a predictable and well-defined unit that can be reasoned about independently of execution context.
2026-06-11 (first published: 2026-05-06)
1,115 reads
A short introduction to how deadlocks work and how you can affect their behavior inside your system.
2026-05-01
2,723 reads
Introduction SQL Server includes several built-in mathematical functions that allow developers to perform complex calculations directly within queries. Among these are trigonometric functions such as SIN(), COS(), and TAN(), which are useful in scenarios involving engineering calculations, geographic data processing, simulations, and analytics. Although these functions are straightforward to use, developers occasionally encounter unexpected results […]
2026-04-29
2,349 reads
Stairway to Reliable Database Deployments introduces a progressive approach to managing database changes with clear intent, predictable rollback, and explicit behavioral guarantees. Starting from change design and moving toward execution and coordination in complex environments, the Stairway provides a conceptual framework for deploying database changes safely and consistently, independent of specific tools or automation platforms.
2026-06-11 (first published: 2026-04-15)
1,683 reads
Generating temporary passwords is a common requirement in many applications. Users may need to reset a forgotten password, new accounts may require an initial password, or developers may generate test credentials. While password generation is often implemented in application code, doing it directly in SQL Server provides clear advantages. It centralizes the logic, ensures consistency […]
2026-04-10
2,007 reads
The DBA life is fraught with pain. Those battles that we endure are mostly...
Every PostgreSQL migration eventually hits the same fork in the road. The database is...
By Steve Jones
I’m off on vacation today. Which is a little weird as I just got...
Hello, I would like to ask whether it is technically possible to redirect a...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Calculating Geometric Mean in Power...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item TempDB Facts I
Can I set Accelerated Database Recovery on tempdb?
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