Should you store images in database tables? My advice: keep the image location (URL) in a VARCHAR column instead, so the database stays small and updates stay simple.
Migrating From Access to SQL Server: Data Types and Gotchas
Plan migrating from Access with explicit type mappings, boolean and date checks, query rewrites, and a primary key inventory.
NCHAR: Build Unicode Characters From Integer Codes
NCHAR builds a character rather than formatting a number. Preserve source codes and distinguish unsupported values from missing input.
A Throwaway Virtual Machine for SQL Server Testing
Use a Throwaway Virtual Machine to test SQL Server setup, patches, and failures with snapshots and safe rollback away from shared servers.
SQL SERVER – ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability)
ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability, the four properties every reliable database needs. Each one explained in a line or two.
SQL Server Layers: Protocols, Query Processor, Storage Engine and SQLOS
SQL Server layers run from the network protocols down to SQLOS and the data and log files. Here is what each layer does, and how physical architecture differs from logical architecture.
SQL SERVER – FIX : Error : 3702 Cannot drop database because it is currently in use.
Error 3702 says you cannot drop database because it is in use. Switch to master, find other connections and drop it safely with this fix.
SQL SERVER – 2005 – Dynamic Management Views (DMV) and Dynamic Management Functions (DMF)
Dynamic Management Views and Management Functions show what SQL Server is doing right now. The two scopes, the main categories and where to start.
SQL SERVER – UDF – Remove Duplicate Chars From String
A reader, Virendra Chauhan, shared a UDF that removes duplicate chars from one large string. Here is his REMOVE_DUPLICATE_INSTR function and how to call it.
ReorientObject: Swap a Geographic Ring’s Interior
ReorientObject swaps a geography polygon’s interior and exterior. Compare inside and outside witnesses, then reorient twice to restore membership.