My coding standards complete list for SQL Server, cut to what people follow: naming, formatting, and the rules that prevent real bugs.
SQL SERVER – Guidelines and Coding Standards Part – 2
Part 2 of my Guidelines and Coding Standards: nest single quotes, add parentheses for readability, use IF EXISTS with SELECT 1, and avoid the SP_ prefix.
SQL SERVER – Guidelines and Coding Standards Part 1
Guidelines and Coding Standards Part 1: Pascal naming for tables, and naming patterns for stored procedures, triggers, indexes and keys.
SQL SERVER – 2008 – Introduction to Policy Management – Enforcing Rules on SQL Server
Use Policy Management in SQL Server 2008 to enforce rules, not just list them. A short tutorial that blocks any stored procedure created without the usp prefix.
SQL SERVER – Four Basic SQL Statements – SQL Operations
The four basic SQL statements are SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT and DELETE. A short note on what each one does, with a link to my one page FAQ sheet for full syntax.
SQL SERVER – Add Column With Default Column Constraint to Table
Add a NOT NULL column with a named default Column Constraint in one ALTER TABLE statement. I always name constraints instead of letting SQL Server pick one.
Templates and Snippets in SSMS
Templates and snippets in SSMS turn repeated SQL patterns into editable starting points while keeping environment assumptions visible.