Query Options are the per-window settings in SSMS that change how a query runs and how its results look. This post covers results to grid, text or file, the character limits that cut long values, the SET options that change answers, and why SSMS and your application can disagree.
Commenting Out Code: Testing Safely in SSMS
Commenting Out Code is the quickest way to switch off part of a script while you test the rest. This post covers the SSMS shortcuts, testing one WHERE filter at a time, the trap of GO inside a block comment, and a safety note to leave above a DELETE.
Joining Three Tables: Following the Keys Step by Step
Joining three tables is easier when you add one join at a time and check the row count after each step. This post builds a small bookshop query from Customers, Orders and OrderLines, adds the book titles, and shows how a missing join condition multiplies rows.
The Messages Tab in SSMS: Row Counts, Errors and Warnings
The Messages tab in SSMS shows what a query did, not what it returned. This post reads row counts, PRINT output, warnings and errors line by line, and explains what SET NOCOUNT ON changes.
Escaping Wildcards in LIKE: Searching for % and _ Literally
Handle escaping wildcards in SQL Server LIKE searches with brackets, ESCAPE, and a reusable function that preserves literal input.
Keeping Admin Scripts One Click Away in SSMS Template Explorer
Organize SSMS Template Explorer scripts, fill reusable parameters, review a copy-only backup, and preserve custom templates on disk.
Logins and Users in SQL Server: Who Gets In and What They Can Do
Logins and users are two different things in SQL Server. A login gets a person or an application into the server, and a user gets them into one database. This post explains Windows and SQL authentication, how a login maps to a user, and how to check the mapping with a query.