Decide When to Upgrade SQL Server by weighing new features, early defects, support needs, and evidence from your own workload.
SQL SERVER – Order of Conditions in WHERE Clause
Conditions in a WHERE clause don’t define a short-circuit evaluation sequence. I inspect actual behavior instead of relying on text order.
SQL SERVER – PIVOT and UNPIVOT Table Examples
If you PIVOT a table and then UNPIVOT it, do you get the original back? Not always. My PIVOT and UNPIVOT table examples show why aggregation loses data.
Three Scripts for a First Look at Any Server
A first look at any server needs three read-only T-SQL checks: configuration, databases and backups, and current activity.
Compound Assignment Operators in T-SQL with Simple Examples
Compound Assignment Operators let T-SQL do a calculation and an assignment in one step, so SET @Stock -= 2 replaces SET @Stock = @Stock – 2. This post tests all eight operators on SQL Server 2025 with a small garden center inventory. It also shows integer division, NULL, string and flag examples, and where the shorthand does not help.
SQL SERVER – Create a Comma Delimited List Using SELECT Clause From Table Column
I received following question in email : How to create a comma delimited list using SELECT clause from table column?
SQL SERVER – Example of DISTINCT in Aggregate Functions
Does DISTINCT in Aggregate Functions make a difference? Yes. A quick AdventureWorks example compares SUM(DISTINCT ReorderPoint) with a plain SUM.