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Gouache painting: on a laundry table, two wool sweaters lie side by side, the same cream color, each with the same vermilion loop at the collar

CHECKSUM: A Matching Result Does Not Prove Text Identity

July 16, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
SQL Function, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

CHECKSUM matches do not establish unchanged text. Preserve complete values and compare hyphen and trailing-space differences explicitly.

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ISDATE function in SQL Server.

SQL SERVER – Validate Field For DATE datatype using function ISDATE()

July 12, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
SQL DateTime, SQL Function, SQL Scripts, SQL Server

A CSV import crashed on the date 30/2/2007. Use the ISDATE() function to validate a VARCHAR column in a staging table before moving rows to a DATETIME field.

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A plain pale wooden block with a square opening beside a larger vermilion cube.

TRY_CONVERT Integer Validation: Check the Target Type

July 11, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
SQL Datatype, SQL Function, SQL NULL, SQL Server

TRY_CONVERT integer validation starts with the destination type and a separate input policy. This example compares blank, signed, decimal and overflowing text without writing data.

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A row of moored rowboats in a quiet harbor, with one weathered red dinghy hidden behind the pilings.

Keeping an Inventory of Every SQL Server You Own

July 11, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
DBA, SQL Documentation, SQL Instance, SQL Server

Build an Inventory of Every SQL Server you own, including hidden instances, owners, versions, recovery details, and a process to keep it current.

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Sage and slate-blue ceramic beads, a small vermilion spacer and an empty ring on a braided cord.

CONCAT_WS: Keep NULL and Empty Strings Separate

July 5, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
SQL Function, SQL NULL, SQL Server, SQL String

CONCAT_WS joins values with a separator, but NULL and empty strings have different effects. These examples keep the original fields beside the combined text and byte length.

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LAST_VALUE window frame illustration, two wooden trays holding smooth stones beside a brass divider.

LAST_VALUE: Set the Window Frame for the Final Row

July 5, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
SQL Function, SQL Order By, SQL Server

LAST_VALUE changes with its window frame. Compare implicit and whole-partition frames, order tied rows and preserve a final NULL.

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Three long shallow trays of blue ceramic pebbles beside a small square tray of six ochre and rust beads.

BIT_COUNT: Count Set Bits Without Changing Integer Width

July 4, 2007
Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
SQL Function, SQL Server, SQL Server 2022

BIT_COUNT counts active positions in a typed value. Keep integer width visible and distinguish a missing mask from a zero count.

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