This Date Functions Quiz asks what DATEDIFF returns for two dates one day apart, when the unit is year. The answer is 1, because DATEDIFF counts boundaries crossed. A tested script shows an age calculation that works, plus DATETRUNC and EOMONTH.
Common Table Expressions Quiz: Why Did My Second Query Fail?
This Common Table Expressions Quiz defines one CTE, reads it once, and then reads it again. The answer is error 208, because a CTE lives for one statement only. A tested script shows the error, the missing semicolon trap and the recursion limit.
SQLAuthority News – Interview with Book Authors after 2 Months of Book Released
Sanjay Shetty and Raj Chaudhuri of INETA APAC did an interview with book authors Vinod Kumar and me, two months after our interview book came out.
Policy Based Management Quiz: Which Mode Can Stop a Change?
This Policy Based Management Quiz asks which evaluation mode can stop a bad change before it is saved. The answer is On change: prevent. A tested T-SQL script blocks a badly named table and shows how few facets support that mode.
Fill Factor Quiz: Is 0 Different from 100?
This Fill Factor Quiz asks whether an index with fill factor 0 leaves more free space than one with 100. It does not: both build full pages. A tested script shows how a fill factor of 70 changes the pages and why it only applies at build time.
Accelerated Database Recovery Quiz: Why Did the Rollback Finish at Once?
This Accelerated Database Recovery Quiz asks how long a rollback takes when ADR is on. The answer is almost no time, and a tested script measures the same rollback with ADR off and on. It also shows what ADR costs.
Piecemeal Restore Quiz: What Happens to Tables Not Restored Yet?
This Piecemeal Restore Quiz asks what happens when a query reads a table whose filegroup is still offline. The answer is an error for that table only, while everything else keeps working. A tested script shows the error and then brings the last filegroup online.