CASE expresses the DECODE mapping in this SQL Server example. I keep the named matches and default value explicit.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Potential Bottlenecks for Performance
At GIDS I was asked to name potential bottlenecks for performance. My old college list still holds: CPU, RAM, hard disk, network and application code.
SQL SERVER – Prevent Constraint to Allow NULL
Why does a CHECK constraint allow NULL? A reader thought it was a bug. I show why it happens and how to write the constraint so NULL is rejected too.
Common Table Expressions for Readability
Common table expressions for readability name query steps and support recursion, but they do not promise cached intermediate results.
geometry STDistance: Measure the Closest Points of Two Shapes
geometry STDistance measures the shortest distance between points belonging to two represented shapes. I compare an interior gap with an endpoint gap. Intersecting shapes provide a useful zero-distance case.
SELECT * in Production Code: The Hidden Costs
See the real costs of SELECT * in production code: lost covering indexes, lookups, stale view metadata, broken inserts and wider results.
SQL SERVER – Applying NOLOCK Hint at Query Level – NOLOCK for whole Transaction
Can you apply the NOLOCK hint to a whole query with OPTION (NOLOCK)? No, it fails with Msg 102. Here is how I use an isolation level instead.
SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.
In my Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check, you share your screen, I guide you, and we fix your biggest performance troublemakers. No passwords. No remote access.
You keep every script, and the know-how to fix it yourself next time.
Want your whole team to learn it?
My Practical Workshop has no PowerPoint, just live demos. My AI Enablement Workshop shows your team where AI saves hours, and where it quietly costs them.
Over 400 customers have worked with me this way, and not one shared a password. See all consulting options.