A WHILE 1 = 1 loop never ends on its own, so every one needs a planned exit. This post builds a once-a-second sampler with three ways out, a stop flag, a round limit and a time limit, then shows how to stop a loop from a second window and what the recursion limit does.
Default Query Shortcuts in SSMS: Alt+F1, Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2
The default query shortcuts in SSMS are Alt+F1, Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2, and each runs a system procedure on the text you select. This post shows what sp_help, sp_who and sp_lock return, why sp_lock has a better replacement, and which keys you can change.
SQL SERVER – Database Engine TCP Port and Browser UDP Port
I inspect TCP listeners to find the actual Network port in use. A customer wanted a query rather than an assumption.
SQL SERVER – Capturing INSERT Timestamp in Table
A default can insert timestamp values when the caller omits a datetime column. I use a session-local CURRENT_TIMESTAMP example.
Custom Query Shortcuts in SSMS: Run Your Own Procedure
Custom query shortcuts in SSMS run a stored procedure of your own on the text you have selected. This post writes a small procedure that explains any session, tests it the way the shortcut calls it, assigns it to a free key, and explains which keys you can use.
SQL SERVER – Logical Processing Order of the SELECT Statement
Logical Processing places DISTINCT before TOP in a SELECT statement. Questions after my video prompted this explanation.
CHECK_POLICY and CHECK_EXPIRATION for SQL Logins
Audit CHECK_POLICY and password expiration for SQL logins, inspect LOGINPROPERTY evidence, and plan safe service-account exceptions.