Adding an index can change which rows TOP returns when there is no ORDER BY. I share three real cases where the order of resultset was blamed on the wrong thing.
Keeping Database Documentation Next to the Code
Keep database documentation close to SQL Server objects with extended properties, durable module comments, and catalog-generated reports.
Time-Limited Access: Expiring Grants With a Valid-Until Column
A ValidUntil column does nothing by itself. Here is how to make the read path enforce it, with a demo you can run.
SQL SERVER – INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS and Value Character Maximum Length -1
Why does INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS show -1 as the character maximum length? A reader asked me this simple question, and I explain what the negative value means.
SQL SERVER – Find Column Used in Stored Procedure – Search Stored Procedure for Column Name – Part 2
Readers improved my script to find column used in stored procedure. Imran Mohammed shares newer scripts to search stored procedure for column name.
Generate Script for Schema and Data in SQL Server: SQL in Sixty Seconds #021
To generate script for schema and data, choose Schema and data in the SSMS wizard and review the result before you run it. The tests here build such a script with T-SQL on SQL Server 2025 and show three ways it breaks: identity columns, apostrophes and the 1,000 row limit.
Decommissioning a Database: A Safe Checklist Before the Drop
Dropping an old database is a one-way door. Here is the short checklist I run first, with a demo you can paste into SSMS.