Intresting Question need answer ASAP

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Intresting Question need answer ASAP

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GSquared SSC Guru Points: 260824 More actions · Answer 1

Well, without using any arabic numerals, you could also do:

SELECT PI()/PI();

But those are "numbers", without being "digits", so it's probably not acceptable.

- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
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Michael Valentine Jones SSC Guru Points: 64818 More actions · Answer 2

This is short and obscure: :satisfied:

select cos('')

Results:

----------------------

1

(1 row(s) affected)

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 3

David Moutray (9/20/2012)
Somehow I think SELECT LEN('a') is too simple for Dave's competition. There must be some really obscure way of returning a 1.

I can think of several hundred increasingly obscure ways.

SELECT ASCII('B') - ASCII('A') comes to mind, but it's longer than simpler options.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

David Moutray SSCertifiable Points: 5956 More actions · Answer 4

GilaMonster (9/20/2012)
David Moutray (9/20/2012)
Somehow I think SELECT LEN('a') is too simple for Dave's competition. There must be some really obscure way of returning a 1.
I can think of several hundred increasingly obscure ways.
SELECT ASCII('B') - ASCII('A') comes to mind, but it's longer than simpler options.

I mainly meant obscure. SELECT LEN('a') is 13 characters. SELECT cos('') is 12 characters. Is it possible to trim any more characters off of this?

I also saw someone use the PRINT function (which would be one character less than SELECT). Are there any command shortcuts? Perhaps something from SQL 6.5 (or older)? :alien:

Michael Valentine Jones SSC Guru Points: 64818 More actions · Answer 5

David Moutray (9/20/2012)
GilaMonster (9/20/2012)
David Moutray (9/20/2012)
Somehow I think SELECT LEN('a') is too simple for Dave's competition. There must be some really obscure way of returning a 1.
I can think of several hundred increasingly obscure ways.
SELECT ASCII('B') - ASCII('A') comes to mind, but it's longer than simpler options.
I mainly meant obscure. SELECT LEN('a') is 13 characters. SELECT cos('') is 12 characters. Is it possible to trim any more characters off of this?
I also saw someone use the PRINT function (which would be one character less than SELECT). Are there any command shortcuts? Perhaps something from SQL 6.5 (or older)? :alien:

The OP specified a SELECT.

David Moutray SSCertifiable Points: 5956 More actions · Answer 6

True, and the competition on SQLAuthority shows a SELECT statement in the sample, but I imagine that something different might be accepted, if it were creative. At least it might get an honorable mention.

Michael Valentine Jones SSC Guru Points: 64818 More actions · Answer 7

Michael Valentine Jones

SSC Guru

Points: 64818

September 20, 2012 at 1:48 pm

#1540365

Another short one.

select day('')

David Moutray SSCertifiable Points: 5956 More actions · Answer 8

The only other answer I could come up with was

SELECT DB_ID()

which will return '1' if you are in the Master database (which is usually the default).

This, of course, is the same length as the answers from the previous responses

SELECT cos('')

and

SELECT day('')

It will be interesting to see if anyone does better.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004356 More actions · Answer 9

vax09 (9/20/2012)
One more
SELECT CAST(634 AS VARCHAR(2))
why it display * in result

vax09 (9/20/2012)
Write the shortest code that produces results as 1 without using any numbers in the select statement. using sql

David Moutray (9/20/2012)
Now, now, Gentlemen. :rolleyes:
The questions posted here are from today's blog by Pinal Dave on SQLAuthority. You can ask any question, but perhaps some of us would like to compete as well. (Dave is offering a $50 Amazon.com gift card to the winner.)
For those interested, you can enter the competition here: http://blog.sqlauthority.com/

I wonder if the OP knows what "black balled for unethical behaviour" means?

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

David Moutray SSCertifiable Points: 5956 More actions · Answer 10

Well, let's be charitable and assume that he is suitably embarrassed by his behavior.

mickyT SSChampion Points: 10360 More actions · Answer 11

mickyT

SSChampion

Points: 10360

September 20, 2012 at 5:30 pm

#1540442

Not the shortest but interesting

SELECT COUNT(*)

Dwain Camps SSC Guru Points: 86948 More actions · Answer 12

David Moutray (9/20/2012)
GilaMonster (9/20/2012)
David Moutray (9/20/2012)
Somehow I think SELECT LEN('a') is too simple for Dave's competition. There must be some really obscure way of returning a 1.
I can think of several hundred increasingly obscure ways.
SELECT ASCII('B') - ASCII('A') comes to mind, but it's longer than simpler options.
I mainly meant obscure. SELECT LEN('a') is 13 characters. SELECT cos('') is 12 characters. Is it possible to trim any more characters off of this?
I also saw someone use the PRINT function (which would be one character less than SELECT). Are there any command shortcuts? Perhaps something from SQL 6.5 (or older)? :alien:

Uh, perhaps I am counting wrong but:

- SELECT LEN('a') looks like 15 characters to me

- SELECT COS('') is 14 characters

So how about:

SELECT LEN(0)

My mantra: No loops! No CURSORs! No RBAR! Hoo-uh![/I]
My thought question: Have you ever been told that your query runs too fast?

My advice:
INDEXing a poor-performing query is like putting sugar on cat food. Yeah, it probably tastes better but are you sure you want to eat it?
The path of least resistance can be a slippery slope. Take care that fixing your fixes of fixes doesn't snowball and end up costing you more than fixing the root cause would have in the first place.

Need to UNPIVOT? Why not CROSS APPLY VALUES instead?[/url]
Since random numbers are too important to be left to chance, let's generate some![/url]
Learn to understand recursive CTEs by example.[/url]
[url url=http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/St

Andy Hyslop SSCrazy Eights Points: 9198 More actions · Answer 13

Hi Dwain

Not allowed to use numbers in the SELECT 😉

Write the shortest code that produces results as 1 without using any numbers in the select statement. using sql

==========================================================================================================================
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Dwain Camps SSC Guru Points: 86948 More actions · Answer 14

Andy Hyslop (9/21/2012)
Hi Dwain
Not allowed to use numbers in the SELECT 😉
Write the shortest code that produces results as 1 without using any numbers in the select statement. using sql

Oh! Thought I could only not use the number 1! 😛

Guess I'll have to submit this and settle for a tie.

SELECT EXP('')

Should get points for obscure.

My mantra: No loops! No CURSORs! No RBAR! Hoo-uh![/I]
My thought question: Have you ever been told that your query runs too fast?

My advice:
INDEXing a poor-performing query is like putting sugar on cat food. Yeah, it probably tastes better but are you sure you want to eat it?
The path of least resistance can be a slippery slope. Take care that fixing your fixes of fixes doesn't snowball and end up costing you more than fixing the root cause would have in the first place.

Need to UNPIVOT? Why not CROSS APPLY VALUES instead?[/url]
Since random numbers are too important to be left to chance, let's generate some![/url]
Learn to understand recursive CTEs by example.[/url]
[url url=http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/St

Eugene Elutin SSC Guru Points: 59322 More actions · Answer 15

...
I mainly meant obscure. SELECT LEN('a') is 13 characters. SELECT cos('') is 12 characters. Is it possible to trim any more characters off of this?
...

How did you count characters? I got:

SELECT LEN('a') - 15 characters

SELECT COS('') - 14 characters

And I can give you one less:

SELECT COS(0) - 13 characters

Edited: OOps, didn't see the second page of conversation 🙂

Yeah and I've used number, so LEN or EXP will do better

_____________________________________________
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(So many miracle inventions provided by MS to us...)

How to post your question to get the best and quick help[/url]