The Tally Table
The tally table is a valuable tool for a SQL Server developer, but how many of you understand how to create and use one?
2025-12-26 (first published: 2015-08-13)
734 reads
Editorials
The DBA's Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my new DBA sent to me A table with a primary key On the second day of Christmas my new DBA sent to me Two Foreign Keys, and A table with a primary key On the third day of Christmas my new DBA sent to me Three stored procs […]
2025-12-24 (first published: 2019-12-24)
317 reads
What's Your Area of Expertise?
We might be smart in one area, but not others. That's worth remembering.
2025-12-22 (first published: 2016-06-16)
183 reads
The Microsoft SQL Year in Review
Microsoft gives a year in review from the SQL Server and Azure SQL teams. Steve sees a lot of accomplishments from this past year.
2025-12-20
65 reads
Your Value from a Conference
Today Steve asks what value you get from attending conferences or other events.
2025-12-19
36 reads
The Challenge of AI
Steve sees a lot of challenges ahead for AI, especially in the area of labor and employment.
2025-12-17
74 reads
Growing Artificial Intelligence
This week Steve Jones discusses artificial intelligence and one of the building blocks that will be needed: data.
2025-12-15 (first published: 2016-07-04)
187 reads
The AI Bubble and the Weak Foundation Beam
The problem that I continue to struggle with the AI Bubble is not innovation, but who has leverage. The AI industry has quietly constructed a capital stack with too many mutual dependencies and too few independent cash flows. When AI profitability hiccups, the financial impact does not land in one place. It cascades across the entire championship and everyone loses and not all players are equally positioned to survive it. This is the AI Bubble in a foundational nutshell.
2025-12-13
691 reads
Refactoring SQL Code
Refactoring code is a common task in many software development teams. Steve asks if this is something common for database developers as well.
2025-12-12
169 reads
Investing for AI
Steve looks to the future of Microsoft and AI after listening to a podcast with Satya Nadella
2025-12-10
114 reads
Blogs
The Book of Redgate: Spread across the world
By Steve Jones
This was Redgate in 2010, spread across the globe. First the EU/US Here’s Asia...
Merry Christmas
By John
Today is Christmas and while I do not expect anybody to actual be reading...
Self-Hosting a Photo Server the Whole Family Can Use
By Bert Wagner
Until recently, my family's 90,000+ photos have been hidden away in the depths of...
Forums
UNISTR Escape
Comments posted to this topic are about the item UNISTR Escape
Celebrating Tomorrow
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Celebrating Tomorrow
SQL Art: I Made a Christmas Card In SSMS
Comments posted to this topic are about the item SQL Art: I Made a...
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