Window Function Basics - PARTITION BY
This article looks at the basics of the OVER() clause and how the PARTITION section works.
2023-12-08
9,880 reads
Emmitt Albright
Comparing Two Execution Plans
This is a short look at a technique that I discovered recently in Management Studio (SSMS). The technique is to compare two graphical execution plans in the tool to understand what they are doing and how two different queries might affect a particular system, both with the image and with the properties' data behind the […]
2023-11-24 (first published: 2021-03-30)
10,527 reads
Randomizing the Day Inside a Month Using T-SQL
This article shows how you can randomize dates in T-SQL, but keep the month and year the same while the day varies.
2022-06-24
1,748 reads
Using Coalesce to Clean Up Reports
One of the lesser used functions is COALESCE(), used to allow you to return one value from a list of those that are potentially NULL. This short pieces gives a few examples where this is useful?
2021-08-16
4,313 reads
A Quick Start to Running Python Code in SQL Server
With the addition of Python to Machine Learning Services in SQL Server 2017, you can now execute your Python code inside of SQL Server.
2020-11-13 (first published: 2019-04-18)
37,409 reads
Creating a Serverless Database in Azure
Learn how you can create a database in the serverless tier in Azure.
2020-06-29
9,753 reads
Fixing MLS Python Services to Load the Runtime
Recently I went to work on a SQL Server 2017 instance and couldn't get the Python runtime to load. I'd keep getting this error: A strange error for me to see, and one that didn't quite make sense. How can the runtime not launch? However, restarting the instance still resulted in this error: Msg 39021, […]
2019-10-24
8,383 reads
Key Rotation in TDE
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) has been around for a long time. It first appeared in SQL Server 2008, and after a rocky start with some bugs, it has become a regularly used feature for many organizations. While not perfect, it does provide some protection and auditors like to see physical protection features being used. It's […]
2019-08-29
15,339 reads
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UNISTR Escape
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Celebrating Tomorrow
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SQL Art: I Made a Christmas Card In SSMS
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Question of the Day
UNISTR Escape
In SQL Server 2025, I run this command:
SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C\3068 and good night', '*') as "A Classic";
What is returned? (assume the database has an appropriate collation)
A: 
B: 
C: 
See possible answers