One counter row means every visitor waits in line. See how buckets spread the locks, and why rows on one page can still crowd each other.
Three-Valued Logic: TRUE, FALSE and UNKNOWN in a WHERE Clause
Understand three-valued logic in WHERE and CHECK, avoid NULL-poisoned NOT IN, and use SQL Server 2022 null-safe comparisons.
SQL SERVER – How to use xp_sscanf in Real World Scenario?
I came across the extended stored procedure xp_sscanf and could not find a real world use for it. Here is how it works. Can you tell me where to use it?
SQL SERVER – Puzzle and Answer – REPLICATE over 8000 Characters
A quick Monday puzzle: what happens when you REPLICATE over 8000 characters into a VARCHAR(MAX) variable? Guess the lengths before you run it.
CONCAT_NULL_YIELDS_NULL and CONCAT: How NULL Behaves in Strings
The CONCAT_NULL_YIELDS_NULL setting decides whether a string plus NULL returns NULL. The CONCAT function never looks at it and treats NULL as an empty string. This post tests both on a customer table, shows the errors the OFF setting causes, and gives safe patterns for names and numbers.
GO Is Not T-SQL: Batches, Variable Scope and GO With a Count
Learn why GO is not T-SQL, how batches reset variable scope, what GO 3 repeats, and how applications should send scripts safely.
SQL SERVER – Adding Column Defaulting to Current Datetime in Table
How do you add a column that fills in the current datetime when a row is inserted? A sample table and a column with a default value that does it for you.