REPLICATE treats zero copies differently from a negative count. I keep the source and requested count beside the result. Byte lengths and NULL flags reveal several blank-looking outcomes.
Standard Settings for a New SQL Server Install
Review standard settings for a new SQL Server install, including memory, MAXDOP, tempdb, backups, and alerts before users depend on it.
SQL SERVER – 2005 – Database Table Partitioning Tutorial – How to Horizontal Partition Database Table
A simple Table Partitioning tutorial for SQL Server 2005 that shows, step by step, how to horizontally partition a database table across two filegroups.
SQL SERVER – 2005 – Introduction to Partitioning
A short introduction to partitioning in SQL Server 2005: very large tables and indexes are split into smaller parts by ranges, across filegroups, for performance.
Checking Every Database for Risky Settings
Find risky settings across every SQL Server database, including AUTO_SHRINK, AUTO_CLOSE, page verification, recovery model, and ownership.
SQLAuthority News – Fix : Remote Desktop Copy Paste Stop Working
My Remote Desktop copy paste stopped working both ways while I worked on a remote SQL Server. Restarting did not help, but the fix at the end of the post did.
SQL SERVER – Get a Row Per File of a Database as Stored in the Master Database
Each database has at least two files. This quick script on sys.master_files returns a row per file of a database, just as it is stored in master.
SQL SERVER – Introduction to Statistical Functions – VAR, STDEVP, STDEV, VARP
VAR, STDEVP, STDEV and VARP are statistical functions that also fit the aggregate function definition. A quick AdventureWorks example shows all four.
SQL SERVER – Introduction to Aggregate Functions
What are Aggregate Functions in SQL Server? The Books Online definition, the full list, and the NULL and GROUP BY rules that candidates often miss.
UNICODE: Supplementary Characters Depend on the Collation
UNICODE returns an integer for the first character, and supplementary-character support affects that integer. I make the collation explicit when interpreting those values. Otherwise the same visible input can produce a misleading comparison.