SQL Prompt Hidden Gem: Auto-fill the GROUP BY clause

Writing GROUP BY clauses is a very common, but tedious, activity for a SQL programmer. SQL Prompt will fill it in for you, with all non-aggregated columns returned by the query. Read more

SQL Prompt Tip: how to control when the suggestion box pops up

By default, SQL Prompt shows code auto-completion suggestions automatically, and continuously. Phil Factor shows how to control this behavior, for the times when you need it to be a little less intrusive, such as when working through more intricate coding problems that require careful thought. Read more

Quick SQL Prompt tip – picking the columns you need for speedy results

One of the poor practices that I see so many people doing in code is using SELECT *. This is poor practice because it takes more time to complete for clients, it’s an unnecessary use of resources on the client, server and network, and it can fill the buffer cache with rarely-used data. For example, Read more

Quick SQL Prompt tip – why you should expand the wildcard

One of the great things about SQL Prompt is that it quickly removes the need to use so many keystrokes. That’s helpful and handy, but to become a really efficient T-SQL coder, you’ll want to practice incorporating a few tricks into your routine. Here’s a good one. Often I run into tables and can’t remember Read more