FOR XML PATH

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FOR XML PATH

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TomThomson SSC Guru Points: 104773 More actions · Answer 1

A good question.

It took me a while to work out because it relies on the fact that ','+d.Colors doesn't have a column name so that for xml path just concatenates the two comma-prefixed colors rather than generating a subelement for each, and I have never used that feature (I've always wanted subelements on the rare occassions I've used for xml) so it didn't click quickly.

Tom

Fatal Exception Error SSChasing Mays Points: 609 More actions · Answer 2

Good Question

I got it right but for the wrong reason's(process of elimination) in my opinion.

I must say I am not a fan of the image since I could not copy the SQL and format it(not run it) to my liking.

vk-kirov SSCertifiable Points: 7686 More actions · Answer 3

bc_ (2/19/2010)
Here is the actual code

It is very interesting to see a proportional font (looks like Arial) on the screenshot 🙂 Do you really use that font for everyday coding instead of a fixed-width font (e.g. Courier New)?

bc_ Hall of Fame Points: 3168 More actions · Answer 4

[font="Arial Black"]ARIAL BLACK[/font]

is there an advantage to using a fixed width font? or is it personal preference?

[font="Arial Narrow"]bc[/font]

paul.goldstraw SSCrazy Points: 2626 More actions · Answer 5

I would say fixed width makes it easier to indent your code since every character fits in a same size block. For me, that's the only reason, it's mere personal preference beyond that. Not sure if others have other reasons why?

TomThomson SSC Guru Points: 104773 More actions · Answer 6

paul.goldstraw (2/25/2010)
I would say fixed width makes it easier to indent your code since every character fits in a same size block. For me, that's the only reason, it's mere personal preference beyond that. Not sure if others have other reasons why?

I'm not sure there are any fixed width fonts that let me use even a full range of eurpean latin-based alphabets, let alone Cyrillic and Arabic too, and certainly not Japanese, Chinese, Korean and various Indian alphabets. Since I have worked mostly in a fairly international environments, and want to work usually in Unicode, this tends to force me onto variable width fonts. Of course it then makes sense to use fixed width (measured in inches or metres or whatever) tabs, rather than letting tabs represent a number of characters from the margin.

Tom

vk-kirov SSCertifiable Points: 7686 More actions · Answer 7

bc_ (2/25/2010)
is there an advantage to using a fixed width font? or is it personal preference?

Fixed-width fonts allow to adjust and beautify a piece of code easily.

Simple example (Courier New):

[font="Courier New"]CREATE TABLE #TEST_TABLE

( Id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY,

Customer_Id INT NOT NULL,

Customer_Name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,

Invoice_Id INT NULL,

Invoice_Total MONEY NULL,

Invoice_Tax MONEY NULL,

Discount_Percent NUMERIC(5,2) NULL

)[/font]

With Arial Black, this code will look like:

[font="Arial Black"]CREATE TABLE #TEST_TABLE

( Id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY,

Customer_Id INT NOT NULL,

Customer_Name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,

Invoice_Id INT NULL,

Invoice_Total MONEY NULL,

Invoice_Tax MONEY NULL,

Discount_Percent NUMERIC(5,2) NULL

)[/font]

Alignment is not as good as before, and (it's more important) another developer will see a total mess when he/she opens the code in his/her SSMS. I think the developer will not be happy 🙂

Delphi, Clarion, Visual Studio, Query Analyzer, SSMS, PL/SQL Developer - all of these use fixed-width fonts by default...

Kelsey Thornton SSCrazy Points: 2157 More actions · Answer 8

Fatal Exception Error (2/23/2010)
Good Question
I got it right but for the wrong reason's(process of elimination) in my opinion.
I must say I am not a fan of the image since I could not copy the SQL and format it(not run it) to my liking.

Don't see why you'd consider that the wrong reason - worked just as well for me.

To (badly?) quote Sherlock Holmes (or Sir A. C. Doyle if you prefer)

"Once you have elimiated the impossible, then whatever is left, however improbable, must be the answer"...

Kelsey Thornton
MBCS CITP

Kelsey Thornton SSCrazy Points: 2157 More actions · Answer 9

Tom.Thomson (2/25/2010)
paul.goldstraw (2/25/2010)
I would say fixed width makes it easier to indent your code since every character fits in a same size block. For me, that's the only reason, it's mere personal preference beyond that. Not sure if others have other reasons why?
I'm not sure there are any fixed width fonts that let me use even a full range of eurpean latin-based alphabets, let alone Cyrillic and Arabic too, and certainly not Japanese, Chinese, Korean and various Indian alphabets. Since I have worked mostly in a fairly international environments, and want to work usually in Unicode, this tends to force me onto variable width fonts. Of course it then makes sense to use fixed width (measured in inches or metres or whatever) tabs, rather than letting tabs represent a number of characters from the margin.

I always use the "so-called"(?) fixed-width fonts in code and eschew tabs like the plague.

The latter is a klingon from an ancient Fortran compiler which would crash if it saw a tab anywhere EXCEPT as the very first character on a line. I still hate tabs in code as my colleagues will no doubt attest. 🙂

The only place where I use tabs is in word-processed documentation (where it *is* better).

Kelsey Thornton
MBCS CITP

Paul White SSC Guru Points: 150467 More actions · Answer 10

The poor UNION statement, abused again 🙁

Paul White
SQLPerformance.com
SQLkiwi blog
@SQL_Kiwi