SUM ROWS versus RANGE defines different running positions. Keep tie-breaking and peer grouping explicit when comparing the resulting totals.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
CAST Without a Length: The Default Can Truncate Text
CAST Without a Length can silently choose a target width that is too short for the source text. I compare omitted and explicit lengths. The same conversion syntax can look harmless while losing the end of a string.
CROSS APPLY VALUES: Unpivot Fixed Columns and Preserve NULLs
CROSS APPLY VALUES can turn a fixed set of columns into rows without dropping their NULL values. I make any missing-value filter explicit. That keeps the reshaping step separate from the decision to exclude data.
SQLAuthority News – MVP Award Renewed
Microsoft has renewed my SQL Server MVP award for another year. A short note of thanks to everyone who helped make this proud moment possible.
SQL SERVER – Difference between Line Feed (\n) and Carriage Return (\r) – T-SQL New Line Char
What is the difference between Line Feed (\n) and Carriage Return (\r)? Why Windows, Mac and Unix read a new line differently, and what it means in T-SQL.
SQL SERVER – 2008 – Policy-Based Management – Create, Evaluate and Fix Policies
An introduction to Policy-Based Management in SQL Server 2008: facets, conditions, policies, and how to create, evaluate and fix non-complying policies.
SQL SERVER – Maximum Number of Index per Table
My TechEd on Road Ahmedabad recap, with 200+ attendees and a quiz, along with a look at the maximum number of index per table in SQL Server.
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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.

