A bare THROW passes an error on untouched. A new THROW or a copied RAISERROR message does not. See the proof, plus one semicolon trap.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Exporting Query Results to CSV using SQLCMD
A reader on Facebook asked how to export query results to CSV using SQLCMD. It is a very simple command, and I show it with an AdventureWorks2012 example.
SQL SERVER – SSMS Does NOT Print NULL Values
Here is a very interesting question asked on the blog by Karthik. I really liked the question and I would like to discuss this here about SSMS doe snot Print NULL values.
What Is a Star Schema?
A star schema is one fact table surrounded by dimension tables. What facts and dimensions hold, why grain is the decision you cannot undo, why the data repeats on purpose, and a worked example in AdventureWorksDW.
Subtotals and Grand Totals With ROLLUP and GROUPING SETS
Build region, product, and grand totals with ROLLUP, CUBE, and GROUPING SETS, then label subtotal rows and compare plans.
nodes() Method in SQL Server: Aliases and Row Patterns
The nodes() method turns each element at a path into one row you can query. This post builds a small catalog of books and reviewers, and shows the two alias errors, query() against value(), the singleton rule, how the row pattern decides the rows, and CROSS APPLY for the next level. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
Custom Date Format Strings in SQL Server: MM Is Not mm
Custom date format strings tell FORMAT exactly which parts of a date to show. This post compares CONVERT styles with FORMAT, lists the standard and custom letters, and shows the traps: MM against mm, YYYY against yyyy, month names that sort wrong, and a culture that changes with the session. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
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Who We Are
Pinal Dave is an SQL Server Performance Tuning Expert and independent consultant with over 24 years of hands-on experience. He holds a Masters of Science degree and numerous database certifications.
Pinal has authored 19 books and 125 Pluralsight courses. To freely share his knowledge and help others build their expertise, Pinal has also written more than 5,800 database tech articles on his blog at https://blog.sqlauthority.com.
Pinal is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2).
Nupur Dave is a social media enthusiast and an independent consultant. She primarily focuses on the database domain, helping clients build short and long-term multi-channel campaigns to drive leads for their sales pipeline.
Shaivi Pinalkumar Dave is a book author and a women’s artistic gymnast.

