Cursors and iterations are both renowned for slowing down Transact SQL code, but sometimes seem unavoidable. In this workbench, Robyn Page and Phil Factor demonstrate some set-based techniques for string manipulation and time interval-based reporting, which use helper tables rather than the dreaded cursor.… Read more
Never a man to walk away from a challenge, Phil Factor set himself the task of automating the production of Word reports from SQL Server, armed only with OLE automation and a couple of stored procedures.… Read more
Robyn Page and Phil Factor present practical T-SQL techniques for controlling access to sensitive information within the database, and preventing malicious SQL injection attacks.… Read more
Grant Fritchey steps into the workbench arena, with an example-fuelled examination of catching and gracefully handling errors in SQL 2000 and 2005, including worked examples of the new TRY..CATCH capabilities.… Read more
The need to produce Excel reports from SQL Server is very common. Here, Robyn Page and Phil Factor present practical techniques for creating and manipulating Excel spreadsheets from SQL Server, using linked servers and T-SQL. The pièce de résistance is a stored procedure that uses OLE Automation to allow you full control over the formatting of your Excel report, and the ability to include sums, ranges, pivot tables and so on.… Read more
A seemingly never-ending battle in online database forums involves the question of whether or not database application development should involve the use of stored procedures.… Read more
Your application may require an index based on a lengthy string, or even worse, a concatenation of two strings, or of a string and one or two integers. In a small table, you might not notice the impact. But suppose the table of interest contains 50 million rows? Then you will notice the impact both in terms of storage requirements and search performance.… Read more
Like a Phoenix, the dynamic SQL versus canned procedures and user functions argument has resurfaced on the SQL newsgroups. Many of the proponents of the dynamic argument are web or Access developers, or developers of some other front end. Arthur takes another look at the argument.… Read more
Stored procedures are not the be-all and end-all of managing changes in a database, but they can be very important tools in allowing changes to be made to a database whilst not breaking client applications...… Read more
There have been a number of discussions about whether to use SPs or not, often shedding more heat than light, Doug Reilly takes a look at the debate.… Read more
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