Sometimes, you wish you had a tool to run a software development process exactly the way you need it to run. You click your heels together and then realise that you already have the means to do it. By combining tools that can work in command-line mode, or can be automated in other ways, you can sometimes save a great deal of time and tedium. Roger Hart rummages into the SQL Toolbelt and comes up with some practical examples for providing Continuous Integration, along with the code!… Read more
An interview with William Durkin. When he has the time, William finds it useful to work as a pre-release software tester. His most recent testing work was for Red Gate's SQL Backup 6.0, just released this month. … Read more
Many SQL Server developers and DBAs have, in the past, had their own favourite diagnostic Stored Procedures for investigating blocking issues, but since SQL Server 2005, it is a good idea to use the SQL Profiler for all but the most complex problems. This has a blocked process report which can tell you what the problem is, and give a good indication as to how to correct it.… Read more
Roger points out the difference between a good 'Wow!' and a bad 'Wow!', when uttered by users trying to find features in your tools. You really should listen to both kinds when you're developing your software...… Read more
For all of us who learn best by trying out examples, Bob Sheldon produces a PowerShell script file for SQL Server that can be used in either SQL Server 2005 or 2008, has error handling and prompts for user-input, is easily extended and, does something useful. He then explains how to run it and what each line does. Magic… Read more
Richard Morris met David and Nigel of the SQL Response team, in a dim sum Restaurant in Cambridge. They had just finished a new Red-Gate product called SQL Response. Away from the office, they described the fourteen month software project that had been dominating their lives; and they were still able to say that they loved writing software.… Read more
Our overriding goal at Red Gate is to make our software more usable by "doing whatever works". That means to do whatever users are most likely to instinctively understand. As we analyse and consider every use of language in our applications, this sometimes leads me as a writer to ask the following question:… Read more
Historically, the profession of "technical author" emerged from the nascent aerospace and technology industries following the war, and brought with it a military-style rigidity of approach to standards and formality. But documenting (and putting words into) software in 2008 is very different from documenting the wiring of a cockpit in a fighter jet in 1952; perhaps we need to relax more... and be more like Google.… Read more
We asked Brian for a description of the Help System for the software he's working on and ends up quoting Blake's poetry, discussing town criers, Ziggurats, security guards and the BRAD signal.… Read more
The conversion of the Red-Gate tools to be compatible with SQL Server 2008 might not seem, on first impression, the most interesting or creative project ever undertaken by the company. However, the two people most involved in the project were adamant that it was a fascinating and rewarding experience. Why? We sent the indefatigable Richard Morris to find out.… Read more
Jason Cook shows you how you can use SQL Multi Script to install or upgrade your SQL Backup server components across the network in one go, rather than installing the components manually for each server.… Read more
David Connell describes how the team that developed Red-Gate's SQL Data Generator tool came to realise that database developers and DBAs already knew what they wanted for their test data. The team wanted to use the Beta version of the program to get a clear message from them. . And then came the daunting task of working out the best way of incorporating all this wisdom into the final product.… Read more
In which Arthur Fuller comes to the aid of a friend who is doing his best to administer The Database From Hell, and manages to set up a reasonable test database with which to solve some of the headaches that only a 65 million row, 600 column, table can cause.… Read more
In this short article, the second of a 2-part series, William suggests a solution, using SQL Data Compare 6.1, for providing an independent cross-check of database transactions to determine whether they have been retrospectively altered. … Read more
SQL Refactor is well-known as a way of formatting, and beautifying, SQL Code from within SSMS, but few users seem to be aware of the Table-Splitting wizard. This wizard is explained by another, András Belokosztolszki.… Read more
Much of the security of SQL Server is implemented as part of the database schema. This provides some bonus uses for SQL Compare. Andras, the architect of SQL Compare v 4, 5, and 6, tells how.… Read more
If you are using SSMS and SQL Server 2005 sp2 You've probably tried out the database reports that are available in the Performance Dashboard, and decided how useful they are, but did you know that you can create your own dashboard reports?… Read more
Tired of struggling through dull, monchrome SQL, C# and VB code in website blogs and forums? Then check out the all-new Simple Talk code prettifier!… Read more
Is your IT project in trouble? Do you need to create a smokescreen so that no-one can pin the blame on you? No problem! Marvel at Phil Factor's versatile use of T-SQL functions in creating the "ultimate excuse database" and then start generating your excuses immediately!
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Richard Mitchell and Steven Davidson describe how they used Red Gate's database schema-comparison tool, SQL Compare, to develop the latest version of red-gate.com… Read more
