Does a column need an index to have statistics? No. A quick demo shows automatic statistics on column data when AUTO_CREATE_STATISTICS is on.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Count Distinct Pairs: Keep the Columns Together
Count distinct pairs by keeping their columns together. A small T-SQL example shows why concatenated labels can collide. Choose whether incomplete pairs belong in the count.
SIGN: Classify Positive, Negative and Zero Values
SIGN describes which side of zero an amount occupies. Preserve the original quantity and distinguish a zero value from missing input.
A Monthly Health Check You Can Run in Ten Minutes
Run a SQL Server health check that reviews backups, integrity-check evidence, file growth, users, build level, and space without guessing health.
SQLAuthority News – Meeting Bryan Oliver and Learning Wisdom of Life
I met Bryan Oliver of Solid Quality Mentors expecting a proud expert, and found an extremely friendly and knowledgeable person. Some wisdom I learned from him.
SQLAuthority News – Guest Post – SELECT * FROM XML – Jacob Sebastian
Getting NULL when reading a value from XML? Most of the time the XPath expression is wrong. A guest post by Jacob Sebastian on writing it correctly.
geometry STIsValid: Parsed Shapes Still Need a Validity Check
geometry STIsValid checks whether a spatial instance satisfies the validity rules for its geometry type. I use two parsed lines to separate those questions. Successful construction alone does not establish that a shape is valid.
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