FOR XML AUTO turns a join into nested XML, with one element per table. This post shows where the element names come from, why row order decides the grouping, how ROOT adds a single root, and how the order of your columns flips the nesting. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
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FOR XML RAW in SQL Server: Row Names, ROOT, ELEMENTS and NULLs
FOR XML RAW turns each row of a query into an XML element. This post names the row element, adds a ROOT, switches to ELEMENTS and shows how a NULL value drops out of the output until XSINIL puts it back. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
EXECUTE AS OWNER in Stored Procedures: Power and Pitfalls
A procedure with owner rights can write to tables its caller cannot touch. Watch the identity change, and see how one careless parameter hands out too much.
What Is XML in SQL Server: Tags, Attributes and Well-Formed Rules
What is XML in SQL Server? It’s plain text where every value carries its own label. This post turns four plant rows into XML with FOR XML RAW, names the parts of a document, and shows the errors SQL Server returns when a rule is broken.
TRY CATCH Block in SQL Server: Plan A, Plan B and the Rollback
A TRY CATCH block runs Plan A and falls back to Plan B when Plan A raises an error. This post shows that CATCH runs only after an error, that severity 11 is the line between a message and an error, and that one ROLLBACK undoes a nested transaction completely. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
Raise Your Own Error in SQL Server: When Valid Code Breaks a Rule
Raise your own error in SQL Server when a valid statement breaks a rule you care about. This post shows three errors SQL Server raises itself, one error that depends on what exists in the database, and how RAISERROR and THROW turn an update of zero rows into a clear message. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
Function That Returns a Table: Table Valued Functions
A function that returns a table works like a view that takes parameters. This post builds inline table valued functions over a small product table, compares them with a view and a scalar function, uses them with CROSS APPLY, and shows the two common mistakes with parentheses. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
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