For T-SQL Tuesday on the APPLY clause, I share the script I use to see each recent query on server along with its execution plan from the cache.
What Is ETL? Extract, Transform and Load Explained
ETL means extract, transform and load, and only the middle word is interesting. What each stage really does, why transform eats most of the schedule, and what changes when a team says ELT instead.
SQL SERVER – Add New Column With Default Value
A developer used three statements to add a column, fill it and make it NOT NULL. One ALTER TABLE can add a new column with default value in one step.
SQL SERVER – MondayMeme – 11 Words or Less
Thomas LaRock started a MondayMeme of 11 words or less, and Amit Banerjee tagged me. My one-liner is about wait types and queues for quick tuning.
Rows That Look Identical but Are Not: Finding Hidden Characters
Expose hidden characters with DATALENGTH and UNICODE, clean known whitespace safely, and add a constraint to prevent recurrence.
SQL SERVER – ‘Denali’ – A Simple Example of Contained Databases
What is new for security in SQL Server Denali? Contained databases keep their own settings, metadata and users, so moving them to a new server is easy.
hierarchyid GetDescendant: Insert Between Siblings
hierarchyid GetDescendant can generate a sibling location before, after or between existing bounds. This read-only example computes paths without inserting records or guaranteeing allocation.