Guest Editorial: That ain't a Database, it's a Spreadsheet

Phil recently had to draw up a list of 'top ten' pieces of advice for programmers who were starting out as database developers. It is a difficult thing to do when one is immersed in the study of the intricacies and detail of the plumbing of SQL Server.

Guest Editorial: On writing SQL

The exceptional talents of seasoned engineers and developers can never quite be rendered obscelete by technological wizardry. Phil Factor considered old-school intuition, and wonders if he's missed a trick.

The Ebb and Flow of Community

Phil Factor talks a bit about the SQLServerCentral community and how we all get something different from it.

Undocumented Routines: Forbidden fruit.

Phil wonders whether it is time to come up with clear 'best practice' guidelines to cover the use of undocumented routines, and ends up deciding it is a gray area.

E-Discovery and Data Retention

While most DBAs might never encounter the legal aspects of their professional, Phil Factor brings to light a few things that you might want to be aware of in these litigious times.

Sniffing out bogus data

/* Imagine that you have some names and addresses. You are anxious to look at the addresses that may be spurious....

Updating Aging Databases

Somehow, one is expected to be pleased that SQL Server 2005 is going to have another Service Pack. Why? For many DBAs, SQL Server 2005 is still a dangerous and radical upgrade. Phil Factor considers Microsoft's responsibilities...

SQL Server Messages: fairies rearranging furniture.

SQL Server and Sybase are geared up
to send information to applications over two distinct channels, the results in
one channel that...

Validating text data. A few techniques.

/*datafile used in the SQL  */

DECLARE @String VARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT  @String = 'When you are starting out to validate text input, perhaps to clean...

Rendering code nicely in blogs and forums.

 I wrote the prettifier specifically to help with posting SQL into blogs and forums. You can find it here http://extras.sqlservercentral.com/prettifier/prettifier.aspx...