Learn time ago labels in SQL Server with practical examples, clear checks, common traps, and guidance for your own database.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SARGable Date Filters: Stop Wrapping Columns in Functions
Write SARGable date filters as half-open ranges for years, months, days, and rolling windows, then compare plans and logical reads.
SQL SERVER – Importance of User Without Login – T-SQL Demo Script
A T-SQL demo script for a user without login: create the user, impersonate it, check its access, revert and then grant permissions, one step at a time.
Find the Most Resource Intensive Queries in SQL Server
To find resource intensive queries, read sys.dm_exec_query_stats and rank the cached statements by reads, CPU or time. This post builds a small demo, ranks it two ways, and fixes the worst offender with one index. It also explains what the numbers can and cannot tell you.
SQL SERVER – Solution – 2 T-SQL Puzzles – Display Star and Shortest Code to Display 1
A recap of my two T-SQL puzzles, the star from CAST(634 AS VARCHAR(2)) and the shortest code to display 1, after 350+ replies from readers.
Renaming a Column Safely Everywhere It Is Used
Renaming a column safely requires finding SQL and application references, applying sp_rename, refreshing modules, and testing every consumer.
SQL SERVER – Preserve Leading Zero While Coping to Excel from SSMS
Want to preserve leading zero values when you paste SSMS results into Excel? The fix is in Excel: format the cells as Text first, and the zeros stay.
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