WITHOUT_ARRAY_WRAPPER needs a single-row JSON contract. Compare one object with two unwrapped objects and validate the complete generated text.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Finding the One Row That Broke Your Data Load
Trace a data load error to its source row with raw staging, TRY_CONVERT, stable row identifiers, and a rejection report that supports a safe retry.
SQL SERVER – DBA or DBD? – Database Administrator or Database Developer
My poll asked if you are a Database Administrator or Database Developer. Of 694 voters, 63.4% chose developer, so maybe DBD earns a dictionary spot.
SQL SERVER – Challenge – Puzzle – Why does RIGHT JOIN Exists
If LEFT JOIN does the same work, the puzzle is why RIGHT JOIN exists at all. Can you show a case where it is truly required? Share your answer.
SQL SERVER – Puzzle – Challenge – Error While Converting Money to Decimal
A puzzle for you: why does converting money to decimal throw Msg 8115, an arithmetic overflow error, when you cast 12345.67 as DECIMAL(5,2)? Share your answer.
SQL SERVER – Challenge – Puzzle – Usage of FAST Hint
When does the FAST hint help? It asks SQL Server to return the first rows quickly, yet my tests showed no change in time. Can you find a good example?
SQL SERVER – Concat Function in SQL Server – SQL Concatenation
Is there a CONCAT function in SQL Server? An attendee said MySQL and Oracle have one. I show how the plus operator joins strings, numbers and column values.
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.
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.

