A database backup does not carry the key that opens your encrypted data. Export both keys, restore one from its file, and see why the password matters.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Pass a Table to a Stored Procedure With a Table Type
To pass a table to a stored procedure, you create a table type and declare a parameter of that type. This post builds a type, a procedure and a call that inserts three classes at once, then a call that inserts a thousand rows, and explains four common errors. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
WITH CHECK OPTION in SQL Server: Stop Rows Leaving a View
WITH CHECK OPTION stops a change made through a view from pushing a row out of that view. This post builds a view of large invoices, shows an update and an insert that make rows vanish, adds the option to block both with Msg 550, and compares it with a trigger. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
Create a View in SQL Server: Column Rules and Encryption
To create a view in SQL Server you save a SELECT statement under a name. This post builds a view over a small donations table, shows the three rules behind the most common view errors, and tests four ways to read a view’s code before and after WITH ENCRYPTION. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
Check Constraint on Existing Data: Clean First, Then Enforce
A check constraint on existing data fails if even one row already breaks the rule. This post finds bad values in a small table of lakes, cleans them, adds the constraint, tightens it with an upper limit, and writes a rule across two columns. It also shows how NULL and WITH NOCHECK behave. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
ANY and ALL: Comparing a Value to a Whole Subquery in T-SQL
One missing price is enough to make ALL return nothing while ANY returns rows. Here is how to see it, and how to ask the question more safely.
SQL Statistics: How SQL Server Estimates Row Counts
SQL statistics are small summaries of your data that tell the optimizer how many rows a query will return. This post builds an orders table with one rare value and one common value, reads the histogram, compares estimated and actual rows in the plans, and shows a stale statistic fixed with UPDATE STATISTICS. Every result comes from SQL Server 2025.
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