SQL Server Magazine

Q: How do I retrieve values from a table and store the results in a string?

Learn how to retrieve values from a table and store the results.

T-SQL 101: Views

The virtual nature of a view is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Here's what you need to know to create views and use them wisely.

Indexed Views vs. Regular Views

Learn how indexed views differ from regular views.

T-SQL 101, Lesson 6

Creating a table "the old fashioned way" leads to a better understanding of the table and its columns. Plus, the resulting T-SQL code documents the table's structure and lets you easily recreate the table.

T-SQL 101, Lesson 5

Understand the differences between inner, outer, and cross joins before you use them in your queries.

T-SQL 101, Lesson 4

Thanks to the GROUP BY clause, you can write SELECT queries that produce detailed reports.

T-SQL 101, Lesson 3

SELECT queries aren't just for retrieving data. You can also summarize that data by incorporating COUNT, MIN, MAX, AVG, and SUM functions into SELECT queries.

Take the Drudgery Out of Making Sure Your Databases Are Being Backed Up Properly

Ensuring that databases are being backed up properly is an important but time-consuming task, especially for DBAs who manage multiple servers and databases. The sp_ShowBackups stored procedure makes this task quick and easy.

2 Stored Procedures to Tune Your Indexes

If you have to perform a full index analysis, here are two T-SQL stored procedures you can use to get detailed information about the indexes in a single table or an entire database.

T-SQL101, Lesson 2

Using a database named MyDB, a table named MyTable, and some dummy tables, you can learn how to create T-SQL queries that insert new data, update existing data, and delete old data.

2 Stored Procedures to Tune Your Indexes

T-SQL 101, Lesson 1

Whether you are new to T-SQL or you just want to brush up on the basics, you'll want to read and save this guide that walks you through how to write SELECT statements. Learn how to order and rename columns and how to filter and sort results.

T-SQL 101, Lesson 1

Stored Procedure Documents Scheduled Jobs in SQL Server

Using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to document job schedules involves a lot of mouse-clicking and cutting and pasting. You can avoid all that hassle by using the sp_ShowJobSchedules stored procedure.

Take Advantage of Osql and Bcp Without Having to Remember All Their Command-Line Options

Here's a stored procedure that consolidates the basic functions of osql and bcp. Switching between these utilities' output is simply a matter of changing the value of an input parameter.

Searching the Web for SQL Topics? Give SQL Hunter a Try

Here's a search engine that targets SQL-related Web sites, which means you can enter fewer parameters when conducting searches for SQL material.

A Quick and Easy Way to View Errorlog Files

Using sp_ShowErrors to view SQL Server errorlog files is time-saving alternative to manually reviewing them in Enterprise Manager.

Retrieve Triggers from the SQL Command Prompt

The sp_ListTriggers stored procedure lets you list all the triggers in the current database or the triggers in a specific table.

Prove That the Database Isn't to Blame

If you've ever had users call to tell you that a SQL Server database is slow, you'll likely find sp_Now a handy tool. This stored procedure determines what processes are currently executing and consuming resources on a database server.

Pull Out Text from HTML Code

The ScrapeText function accepts an HTML string as input and returns a plain text string by simply skipping over any text contained within the tags < and > tags.