A reader wanted students and courses grouped by course and instructor in a single row. Here is a simple concatenation trick with XML PATH that does it.
What Is a Deadlock in SQL Server?
A deadlock in SQL Server is two sessions each holding what the other needs. I caused one on purpose and read error 1205. Why it is not the same as blocking, who gets killed, and the boring fix that works.
Plan Cache Duplicates From Whitespace and Case Differences
One extra space or a lowercase keyword gives you a second cached plan. See it in the cache, and learn what actually fixes it.
Where T-SQL Differs From the ANSI Standard
See where T-SQL differs from the ANSI standard in row limits, concatenation, NULL behavior, and practical query portability.
SQL SERVER – Identity Fields Review – The SQL Query Techniques Tutorial for SQL Server 2012
Identity Fields Review is a chapter abstract from the Joes 2 Pros SQL Query Techniques Tutorial for SQL Server 2012, a book first tested in my classroom.
What the model Database Passes to Every New Database
Audit the model database template for recovery model, options, objects, and file size, then verify growth settings on new databases.
Masked Values: What Dynamic Data Masking Does Not Hide
A masked column shows zeros, but a user with SELECT can still filter, sort and guess the real values. Here is the proof and the fix.