TSQL Tuesday
The second Tuesday of the month comes to us a little early this month. That means it is time again for another group blog party called TSQLTuesday. This party that was started by Adam Machanic has now been going for long enough that changes have happened (such as Steve Jones (b | t) managing it now). For a nice long read, you can find a nice roundup of all TSQLTuesdays over here.
The Why?
This month, Matthew Mcgiffen (b | t) invites us to come to a little puzzle party for our TSQL Tuesday party. Bring your favorite brain teaser, puzzle, questions, or interesting and complex TSQL problems/solutions.
This ties pretty nicely into the topic from last month (well at least for me). If you recall, last month Todd asked all of us to share some of our uses for databases in our personal lives. I submitted my article here, but forgot about one of my favorite uses for a database in my personal life – a daily trivia set about SQL Server.
So, why not elaborate on that database a bit today. Almost like a two for one. However, there is one little quick departure I want to make. My first puzzle solved with TSQL was written about many moons ago and can be found here.
TSQL Challenges
A long time ago, Jacob Sebastian ran regular challenges involving TSQL to get you to think about ways to solve problems using TSQL. The site is no longer available, but challenge #97 was about solving Sudoku puzzles. Here is my solution to that particular challenge. A little TSQL and a bit of the black arts and there is a nifty little solution. Even though I have this little trick in the bag, I still solve the Sudoku puzzles the hard way.
What a nice little stroll down memory lane there. That solution alone could satisfy the 
request for this TSQL Tuesday. Alas, we won’t stop there!
QOTD
Several years ago, I put together a little database to help with daily trivia questions. The database is a simple design and had a primary function to help teach SQL Server facts and internals to those with varying levels of DBA experience as well as helpdesk members. That said, the topic of questions doesn’t have to be SQL specific – it was my primary use.
With just a few tables and a few procs, I have a database that I can use to create questions, track responses from participants, and email questions and answers to participants on a daily basis – automatically. If I run out of questions, I just add more to the table. Nothing super complex there.
What this offers me is a mechanism to mentor multiple people without the burnout and while also gauging their true interest level in improving their SQL skill set.
Wrapping it Up
One of my favorite database automations is to send trivia style questions daily. This helps me to mentor and assess other dba talent within an organization without being too aggressive. Not only can a database be used for automation but it can also be used for numerous other automations. Beyond being highly useful for automation and training, there is also the possibility of using TSQL to solve puzzles like Sudoku puzzles.