Check scalar UDF inlining eligibility, database settings, function options, and execution plans before claiming a performance improvement.
Unstable Queries: Finding Wide Duration Swings in Query Store
Find unstable queries with Query Store duration spread, weight averages, and separate plan changes from waits and parameter effects.
SQL SERVER – Does Use of CTE Change the Order of Join in Inner Join
A reader said he uses a CTE to control join order. Does a CTE change the order of join in an inner join? Here is what I found.
SSMS Keyboard Shortcuts Worth Learning
SSMS keyboard shortcuts for execution, comments, results, and Object Explorer remove repeated clicks while keeping query context visible.
Reading DBCC SHOW_STATISTICS Step by Step
Read SHOW_STATISTICS headers, density and histogram boundaries, compare estimates with your plan, and query the histogram directly.
UNION vs UNION ALL: Reading the Operators Each One Adds to a Plan
Compare UNION vs UNION ALL through actual plans, duplicate-removal operators, memory grants and reads, then prove when branches cannot overlap.
Bitmap Filters in Parallel Hash Joins: Reading Them in a Plan
Read bitmap filters in parallel hash join plans, compare fact scan output, and distinguish early row rejection from guaranteed savings.