SQL Server 2012 adds the new system stored procedure sp_describe_first_result_set. I try it on a query and a view to see what metadata it returns.
SQL SERVER – Online Index Rebuilding Index Improvement in SQL Server 2012
Online index rebuilding with VARCHAR(MAX) or NVARCHAR(MAX) columns failed in SQL Server 2008. SQL Server 2012 changes that, and here is my test.
SQL SERVER – Difference between DATABASEPROPERTY and DATABASEPROPERTYEX
What is the difference between DATABASEPROPERTY and DATABASEPROPERTYEX? I asked on Facebook, and here are the best answers from readers.
SQL SERVER – T-SQL Constructs – *= and += – SQL in Sixty Seconds #009 – Video
Vinod Kumar is back with T-SQL constructs in SQL in Sixty Seconds #009, showing how .NET developers can use familiar syntax like *= and += in T-SQL.
SQL SERVER – Right Aligning Numerics in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
Numbers in SSMS results are hard to read when they do not line up. Right aligning numerics takes one query option, and I show where to find it.
Loading Partitions in Parallel
Loading partitions in parallel uses separate staging tables, controlled workers, and partition switching to publish data without chaotic locks.
Getting Through a Technical Book You Actually Finish
Read a technical book with a practical question, small SQL experiments, and reusable notes that turn each useful chapter into working knowledge.