Understand a distributed transaction through two-phase commit, uncertain outcomes, coordinator recovery, and alternative business guarantees.
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Joining Tables in SQL Server: INNER, LEFT and FULL Joins
Joining Tables lets one query combine rows from two tables that share a value. This post uses small Customers and Orders tables to show what INNER, LEFT and FULL OUTER joins return, how many rows each one gives, and how to read the rows that have no match.
Running SQL Code: Execute, Batches and GO in SSMS
Running SQL code in SSMS starts with F5 or the Execute button. This post covers running only a selection, what a batch is, why GO is not T-SQL, why variables disappear after GO, and how GO with a number repeats a batch.
Data and Information: Why Every Business Runs on a Database
Data and Information are not the same thing. Data is the raw facts a business stores, and information is the answer you get when a query processes them. This post uses a small bookshop table to show the difference, and why a database does the job better than a ledger or a spreadsheet.
The Four Window Functions You Will Actually Use
Learn four practical window functions with SQL examples for numbering rows, ranking ties, comparing previous values, and calculating running totals.
SQL SERVER – Understanding Restrict Access to Restricted_User Database Property
What does Restrict Access set to Restricted_User mean in database properties? I answered a reader with a simple image comparing it with Multi_User and Single_User.
IS DISTINCT FROM in SQL Server 2022: NULL-Safe Comparisons
Use IS DISTINCT FROM for NULL-safe comparisons in SQL Server 2022, understand older workarounds, and inspect index seeks before changing code.
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