To enable SQLCMD mode in SSMS, use the Query menu or set it as the default for new windows. This post tests :connect, :setvar, :r, !! and :on error exit with sqlcmd.exe on SQL Server 2025 and shows the Msg 102 error you get when the mode is off.
SELECT a Single Row in SQL Server: SQL in Sixty Seconds #046
To SELECT a single row for a quick look at a table, set up an SSMS query shortcut that runs SELECT TOP 1. The tests here show which row comes back, how an index or a heap changes it, what it costs on a 200,000 row table and when to add ORDER BY.
How to Add Column at Specific Position in SQL Server
To add column at specific position in SQL Server, you have three tested options, because ALTER TABLE always adds the column last. This post shows a SELECT list, a view for loads and reports, and a full table rebuild. It also explains what the rebuild costs.
SQL SERVER – SSMS Does NOT Print NULL Values
Here is a very interesting question asked on the blog by Karthik. I really liked the question and I would like to discuss this here about SSMS doe snot Print NULL values.
Cycle Clipboard Ring in SSMS: SQL in Sixty Seconds #045
To cycle clipboard ring entries in SSMS, press Ctrl+Shift+V after a paste. The clipboard ring is most useful when you copy several names, so this post uses T-SQL to build clean column lists and tests the QUOTENAME and STRING_AGG limits that break a paste.
SQL SERVER – Shortcut to SELECT only 1 Row from Table
Developers often select only 1 row to peek at what a table holds, but typing SELECT TOP 1 again and again is slow. I share a quicker shortcut for it.
Restore a Database in SSMS: Step by Step
To restore a database in SSMS, right-click Databases, choose Restore Database, pick the backup file, name the destination and choose the recovery state. This post covers each page of the dialog, the tail-log error that stops overwrites, and the T-SQL for a full, differential and log restore chain.