SQL DB Pros

Tag: tips

  • Compare a Row to the MAX of Multiple Columns and Multiple Rows: The Easy Way

    Alright.  MAX on rows *and* columns.  This was a bit of a mind bender.  A fellow SQL Server Developer was wondering if it was possible to find the MAX and MIN values of multiple rows and columns and then compare it to a value on a single row.  Of course this could be done by […]

  • Use F5 To Execute A Query In Visual Studio

    If you’re coming to Visual Studio 2010 from SQL Server Management Studio you’re probably getting annoyed by the fact that pressing the F5 does not execute your SQL when using the T-SQL Editor window. Do not fear! Like the $6 Million Dollar Man, “we have the technology… Better… Stronger… Faster.” Instead of the three buttons […]

  • SSIS: No column information was returned by the SQL command

    Are you trying to use a stored procedure as the source of a SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) data flow task?  If your stored procedure contains a temp table you may run into the message “No column information was returned by the SQL command” (complete error message below).  Although there are a number of solutions […]

  • Clearing the SQL Server Analysis Services Cache

    Preparing to do some MDX performance testing?  Step one for each and every test should be to clear the cache.  This will ensure you are seeing the performance results without the benefit of having data already loaded up in memory.  How do you empty the MS SQL Analysis Services cache prior to running your query?

  • The Four Database Design Principles You Should Be Using

    The Four Database Design Principles You Should Be Using

    “Obey the principles without being bound by them.” -Bruce Lee   Do you have some guiding principles you use when designing a new feature or when implementing a new requirement?  I do.  And you should too.  I put them to paper a few years ago while we were undergoing a hiring binge and I wanted […]

  • Execute Stored Procedure From Excel With Temp Table

    Do you want to execute a stored procedure from Excel?  No problem!  Does your proc contain a temp table? Problem!  Actually, don’t panic.  The fix is incredibly simple.  Tracking down this post was probably the most difficult part.  When executing a SQL Server proc with a temp table you must remember to “SET NOCOUNT ON” […]

  • The Three Best Tips For Effective Code Reviews And Preventing Knife Fights!

    Bring a group of senior business intelligence professionals or SQL Server pros together to review each others code and you have all the potential for a good knife fight.  As our team is getting ready to make design/code reviews a regular part of our development process we’re looking to make sure we get off on […]

  • SQL Server Partition Lock Escalation Property Query

    Whenever I want to check a setting in SQL Server I always prefer to find it using a query.  Every once in awhile these settings turn out to be on the verge of being undocumented.  This is the case with table level lock escalation (also known as partition level lock escalation).  The T-SQL query below […]

  • Most Effective Business Intelligence Charts And Graphs

    As software vendors flood us with flashy dashboards and widgets for our BI projects, some of which clearly obscure information more than they illuminate, I started  hunting for research documenting which methods of charting are the most effective.  Naomi B. Robbins “Creating More Effective Graphs” presentation fits the bill (turns out the presentation is based […]

  • SQL Server Row Count – The Fastest Way

    What’s the fastest way to get the number of rows in a table on SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008? Use the code the pros use.