(Leo Peysakhovich) Often times index placement is a confusing task for many SQL Server developers. We all have been told that indexes do boost performance. The problem is how to select the ideal type of index, the number of columns to index, and which columns should be indexed, and how to answer all

(Allan Mitchell) This article was inspired again by a newsgroup post asking how a directory of files could be read and the filenames be entered into a SQL Server table along with the file itself. In this article we shall be making use of code we have used previously in other articles along with t

(Frank Garcia) SQL Server agent plays an important role in the day-to-day tasks of a database administrator (DBA). It is often overlooked as one of the main tools for SQL Server management. Its purpose is to ease the implementation of tasks for the DBA, with its full-function scheduling engine, whic

(Gregory A. Larsen) Have you every needed to get the information returned from a stored procedure (SP) into a SQL Server table? Or have you wondered how you might get the contents of an operating system (OS) file into a SQL Server table? How about placing the output of some Windows executable into a

(William Pearson) A common requirement of enterprise reporting is the capability for information consumers to filter reports at run time for specific information they need. This is typically managed via parameterization, also known as “prompting,” where the filter criteria is requested (and henc

(Nick Wienholt) The next release of Microsoft’s SQL Server database, which is currently known by its code name of Yukon, allows managed code to be executed within the confines of the database server’s process. There has been mixed reaction to Yukon’s managed code features, ranging from unbridled jub

(Andy Warren) I’ve published two prior articles (Case Sensitivity in Selects – Part 1 and Case Sensitivity in Selects – Part 2), and you’ll benefit from reading them before continuing with this one. I’d like to start by looking at part of a great email I received from reader John Sands (check out hi

(William Pearson) As most of us who work in the Business Intelligence community are aware, parameters (sometimes known as “prompts” or “parameter prompts”) are a staple of enterprise reporting, because they enable information consumers to quickly find the information they need from a report. These f

(Lisa Vaas) The long-awaited second beta of the very long-awaited update to Microsoft Corp.’s SQL Server enterprise database is out. But analysts say Microsoft still has a lot of explaining to do. “Some enterprises and ISVs have started to link the delays in the product line with the Longhorn an

(Brad M. McGehee) To many DBAs and Transact-SQL developers, Query Analyzer is an old friend. We are familiar with how it works, and we understand its strengths and weaknesses. And, like many of our friends, most of them have some room for improvements. (My friends excluded, just in case they read th