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SQL Code Analysis (40)

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The Whys and Wherefores of Untrusted or Disabled Constraints

Having untrusted or disabled FOREIGN KEY or CHECK constraints in your databases will degrade data consistency and integrity and can cause query performance problems. Phil Factor explains how to detect these and other table-related issues, during development, before they cause trouble further down the line. Read more

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SQL Prompt Code Analysis: A Hint is Used (PE004-7)

Phil Factor suggests a philosophy of "the SQL query optimizer knows best" when it comes to choosing the right execution plan. Use hints as a last resort, and evaluate them carefully whenever SQL Prompt warns you of their presence in your SQL code. Read more

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SQL Prompt Code Analysis: Table does not have clustered index (BP021)

If SQL Prompt alerts you to a table without a clustered index, investigate the reason for its absence carefully. It is rare indeed to find a table where data retrieval is faster without one. Read more

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SQL Prompt Code Analysis: Avoid using the ISNUMERIC Function (E1029)

Avoid using the IsNumeric() function, because it can often lead to data type conversion errors, when importing data. On SQL Server 2012 or later, use the Try_Convert() or Try_Cast() function instead. On earlier SQL Server versions, the only way to avoid it is by using LIKE expressions. Read more

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SQL Prompt Code Analysis: INSERT INTO a permanent table with ORDER BY (PE020)

Data in relational tables is never guaranteed to be returned in a particular order, so adding an ORDER BY to an INSERT INTO statement is meaningless and, pre-SQL Server 2012, could cause performance issues. If you really need to impose a particular order on rows in the table, use a… Read more

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Practical PowerShell Processes with SQL Change Automation

Starting from the object-level source code for a database, Phil Factor shows how SCA can create a NuGet build package, use it to migrate target database to the same version, and publish web-based database documentation, a report of what changed on the target and the results of a static code… Read more

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SQL Prompt code analysis: avoid non-standard column aliases (ST002 and DEP021)

If you declare a column alias using equals SQL Prompt will raise a violation of a style rule (ST002). It's best to follow the ANSI-SQL92 standard of assigning aliases using the AS keyword. If the alias is not a standard identifier, delimit it with double quotes. using single quotes has… Read more

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SQL Prompt code analysis: avoiding the old-style TOP clause (ST006)

If you want to use TOP with an expression or subquery, or in INSERT, UPDATE, MERGE, and DELETE statements, then use of brackets is required, so it's a good habit to adopt everywhere. Read more

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SQL Code Analysis from a PowerShell Deployment Script

This article shows how to define SQL code analysis rules using SQL Prompt and them run them automatically from a PowerShell script, displaying the detected code issues in a handy HTML report. Read more

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The Sins of SELECT * (BP005)

If Prompt warns you of use of the asterisk, or 'star' (*), in SELECT statements, consider replacing it with an explicit column list. It will prevent unnecessary network load and query performance problems, and avoid problems if the column order changes, when inserting into a table. Read more

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Security and compliance

Database monitoring and observability

Database change management

Productivity and workflow automation

AI data readiness

Database modernization

Efficiency and cost optimization

Cloud migration and workload optimization

Redgate Flyway

Redgate Monitor

SQL Toolbelt Essentials

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The Whys and Wherefores of Untrusted or Disabled Constraints

SQL Prompt Code Analysis: A Hint is Used (PE004-7)

SQL Prompt Code Analysis: Table does not have clustered index (BP021)

SQL Prompt Code Analysis: Avoid using the ISNUMERIC Function (E1029)

SQL Prompt Code Analysis: INSERT INTO a permanent table with ORDER BY (PE020)

Practical PowerShell Processes with SQL Change Automation

SQL Prompt code analysis: avoid non-standard column aliases (ST002 and DEP021)

SQL Prompt code analysis: avoiding the old-style TOP clause (ST006)

SQL Code Analysis from a PowerShell Deployment Script

The Sins of SELECT * (BP005)

2026 State of the Database Landscape

Introduction to PostgreSQL for the data professional

Security and compliance

Database monitoring and observability

Database change management

Productivity and workflow automation

AI data readiness

Database modernization

Efficiency and cost optimization

Cloud migration and workload optimization

Redgate Flyway

Redgate Monitor

SQL Toolbelt Essentials

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