Database Coding Standards and Guidelines Part 2: skip SELECT *, use SET NOCOUNT ON, prefer CTEs over temp tables, avoid cursors, and more query tips.
SQL SERVER – Database Coding Standards and Guidelines Part 1
Database Coding Standards and Guidelines Part 1: naming rules for tables, stored procedures, triggers, indexes, primary keys and foreign keys.
Coding Standards: A Short Guide and a Practical Naming Check
Useful SQL coding standards give teams a short rule set with clear exceptions. Run a read-only naming report, check literal underscores in procedure prefixes and review the results before changing objects.
Composite Keys: Match Complete Pairs Instead of Separate Lists
Composite keys need a complete pair match when the allowed values are defined together. I don’t split the components into independent lists. Doing so can admit combinations that were never allowed.
IIF and CASE: Control Return Types and Use Typed NULL Values
IIF and CASE choose result values, but their branches also define a shared return type. I make that type explicit when mixed inputs could surprise the reader. Typed NULL values help describe the same output contract.
SQL SERVER – Primary Key Constraints and Unique Key Constraints
Primary Key and Unique Key both enforce uniqueness, but they differ in the index they create and in NULL handling. Here are the differences and the scripts.