FOR JSON PATH omits NULL properties by default. Compare INCLUDE_NULL_VALUES with missing properties and empty strings in a complete output example.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Tagging With a Many-to-Many Table: Storing and Querying Hashtags
Store hashtags in a tag and bridge table, normalize input, query any or all requested tags, and count weekly trends without scans.
SQL SERVER – Soft Delete – IsDelete Column – Your Opinion
Soft delete with an IsDelete column marks rows as deleted but keeps them. Michael J Swart dislikes it, and I agree. I share a similar story and ask your opinion.
Data, Log and tempdb File Placement: Checking Where Everything Lives
Check file placement for data, logs, and tempdb, inspect volume free space, and plan a Windows file move with a verified recovery path.
SQLAuthority News – Fathers and Daughters
My daughter turns one today and I feel so lucky to be a father of daughter. A few words on the special bond between fathers and daughters, with her photos.
Keeping a Change Log for Every Database
A change log for every database records what changed, when, why, and by whom, with a simple table and a habit of updating it.
Return Codes: Keep Procedure Status Separate From Data
Return codes carry procedure status separately from application values. This private demonstration compares result sets, captured output and omitted OUTPUT. It also separates an optional no-work request from a genuine raised error.
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.

