Controlling Transactions and Locks in SQL 2000 and 2005 - Part 1

A look at controlling transactions and locks with hints and snapshots in SQL Server 2000 and 2005.

Database Geek of the Week - Shawn Wildermuth

Shawn Wildermuth is the “go-to guy” for information on ADO.NET. He is the author of Pragmatic ADO.NET: Data Access for the Internet World and numerous articles, is a Microsoft MVP, and works as an independent consultant in Atlanta.

Shawn’s web site, The ADO Guy, is a good resource for developers looking for answers to questions about ADO and ADO.NET. The site also lists interesting blogs, books and sites that are among Shawn’s favorites.

ADO.NET Data Sets

This article looks at how partial classes can be used to implement business logic into datasets so that they are more business aware and intelligent.

The dataset is an integral part of Microsoft’s new data access model ADO.NET. It introduces a simple offline method for retrieving and updating data. Before using the dataset, you should have an understanding of the Microsoft .NET platform and a basic understanding of the dataset model.

Michael Rys on XML in SQL Server 2005

Michael Rys is one of two program managers responsible for the XML features in SQL Server. He also represents Microsoft on the W3C XQuery Working Group, and on the ANSI working group for SQL. I asked him what is distinctive about the XML support in SQL Server 2005, as opposed to that found in rival database management systems. As Rys acknowledges, "all the three major vendors, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft, are moving towards second or third generation suppor

Cross-Tab reports in SQL Server 2005

Microsoft introduces new operators PIVOT and UNPIVOT in SQL Server 2005. Traditionally we create queries using the CASE statement and aggregate function in order to produce cross-tab reports. This article illustrates the usage of the new operators, PIVOT and UNPIVOT.

SQL Server Integration Services - Part 5

We will continue our review of Foreach enumerators starting with Foreach ADO, since this one probably qualifies as the most popular choice in its category. This is due to the fact that ADO recordsets offer a convenient way of dealing with data sources, regardless of their type (for example, within SSIS, you can easily populate a recordset by executing a SQL query or by reading the content of a flat file)

Attack of the predatory sales force

Most skilled professionals—be they butchers, bakers or software makers—take pride in selecting their own tools of the trade. Why is it then that developers and DBAs in large corporations often are not afforded the same professional courtesy or opportunity? The tools they use are just as vital to their livelihood, yet when it comes to high-cost software, developers and DBAs often have no input into what is purchased for their use.

The identity crisis in replication

This article discusses three common problems DBAs are likely to encounter when columns have the identity property, which is defined as an attribute of int, smallint, bigint, decimal, numeric or tinyint columns that will auto-increment their value when data is inserted. These problems are humorously referred to as the identity crisis.

SOA, Multi-Tier Architectures and Logic in the Database

Programmers, webmasters, Web services developers and database administrators (DBAs) are not strangers to the "Can we have it tomorrow?" request. That's why software and web developers have embraced a continuous stream of silver bullet technologies that promised to accelerate development. The developer community has experienced "web time", object-oriented programming (OOP), rapid application development (RAD), "extreme programming" and "agile development". Accelerated development schedules put a premium on understanding architecture and knowing how to match the tools to the job. That means understanding today's model of applications as services and what role a database can play. If you understand SQL technology, for example, you can adapt databases to application and service requirements by embedding logic in a database.

SQLTeam.com: Five Fabulous Years

Just a little older than SQLServerCentral.com, SQLTeam.com has been another great community for SQL Server developers. A look back from Bill Granazio