SQL Server 2008 adds inline variable assignment, so DECLARE @MyVar INT = 5 works in one line. I compare it with the SQL Server 2005 way of DECLARE then SET.
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.
DATETRUNC: Use ISO Week Boundaries With Explicit Date Types
DATETRUNC can give an ISO week its Monday boundary without changing session settings. I also keep the input date type explicit. A boundary calculation should reveal both its calendar rule and its return type.
HAVING Without GROUP BY: Filter One Implicit Aggregate Group
HAVING without GROUP BY filters the single implicit aggregate group produced by the query. I use that distinction when a summary should appear only if its aggregate condition passes. A false condition can remove the summary row entirely.
SQL SERVER – Order of Conditions in WHERE Clause
Conditions in a WHERE clause don’t define a short-circuit evaluation sequence. I inspect actual behavior instead of relying on text order.
SQL SERVER – PIVOT and UNPIVOT Table Examples
If you PIVOT a table and then UNPIVOT it, do you get the original back? Not always. My PIVOT and UNPIVOT table examples show why aggregation loses data.
Compound Assignment Operators in T-SQL with Simple Examples
Compound Assignment Operators let T-SQL do a calculation and an assignment in one step, so SET @Stock -= 2 replaces SET @Stock = @Stock – 2. This post tests all eight operators on SQL Server 2025 with a small garden center inventory. It also shows integer division, NULL, string and flag examples, and where the shorthand does not help.