If you were to combine the capabilities of SQL, ODBC, XQuery and REST, stir it up, it might come out like OData. OData has been around for a long time now, and lives as an open systems project that has been widely used by Dot Net and other tools. However, it is not a Microsoft only toolset. Looking much like […]

Yesterday I wrote about writing applications using multi-threading, reminding us that parallel execution does not always bring about the advantages we might think. In response to that editorial AZ Jim wrote some helpful reminders about configuring parallel execution in SQL Server. Parallel execution in SQL Server is similar to using parallel capabilities in software of any kind. The difference is […]

I’ve been talking a lot about parallel programming as the way to more fully utilize contemporary computers with multiple cores. Today I wanted to qualify those statements a bit. The main point I wish to make today is that even though you can generate parallel execution much easier today with new libraries, it is possible to actually slow down your […]

I find it interesting that there are few practices in software development that are universal and apply to all cases. In fact, I can’t think of a single one. We have many best practices for just about anything. Those practices usually come from real world experience and have pros and cons for using or not using them. For example, the […]

In life there are a lot of things that we must take as a given but are difficult to prove. The best we can do is take a position where the evidence leads and operate as if it is true. The problem is that those things that we consider as assumptions, because you have to have a starting point, escalate […]

How important is the protection of your data? What would happen to your business if something happened to your data? Is this a key consideration in your system designs, or simply an afterthought when you have time to get around to it? When I am thinking of data protection there are a lot of factors to be considered. The first […]

Here’s a little C# technique that can save you time when you passing an undefined set of data from one method to another. This may be a newbee kind of thing. But, if you haven’t come across it yet, it can be very handy. Let me start out with an example problem. Have you ever used the string.Format method in […]

One of the most difficult kinds of software I have worked on is where you use data to define or logic. One kind of program you could write uses meta-data stored in a relational database to write and execute SQL code based on what it finds. I once created a stored procedure that would identify the structure of a table […]

I recently found myself going back to Old School techniques for SQL Server Reporting Services. A colleague of mine was working with a report using a user entered multi-select option as a filter for the report. I was surprised to find how reporting services translated the input into a query to retrieve the data from SQL Server. The report had […]

As an IT Professional it can help to brand yourself when it comes to demonstrating your worth to your current employer or a potential client/employer. Often this is done through blogging or by adding content to different forums or newsletters. I recently received a request from an individual wishing to submit content to SSWUG.org for publishing. I think this is […]