OK. So I couldn't let go and just had to try to come up with a query to do this. [p] To restate the problem, we want a list...

RBarry,

Thanks for a great article and wonderful thread of comments. Others have said it, but I'll gladly reinforce the idea that the techniques and generalized information are the point...

Jeff Moden wrote:

Don't fool around with such questions on an interview for someone hiring in that's supposed to know SQL. Stick to the subject and remember... you're not trying...

First thing I thought of in response to original question was how in the early eighties, my wife and I decided that as young newly-weds we really couldn't afford the...

[/size][/size]Shaun McGuile posted:

Yeah and implement a couple of stored procs called blow_to_head and alchol_intoxication which use some sort of fuzzy logic and produce random loss of data and strange returns...

For an interesting take on the lamps-and-switches method of applicant screening, see book How Would You Move Mount Fuji? by William Poundstone. It delves into the Microsoft interview/applicant harrassment...

Paul,

I'm not sure from the posts here, but it looks as though you installed the downloadable DTS designer, but just don't see it in the SSMS.

It's slightly hidden....

I humbly accept my "Wrong Answer" status and thank you, Kev, for the lesson. I chose only "Top 1000..." as I had thought that "TOP n PERCENT" and "TABLESAMPLE..."...

jims posted code:

Set Nocount On

Create Table #Temp

(

Val int

)

Insert Into #Temp values (1)

Insert Into #Temp values (2)

Insert Into #Temp values (3)

Insert Into #Temp values (4)

Insert Into #Temp values (5)

Set Nocount...

pjaime (7/17/2008)

---

Siendo hoy 17-07-2008

declare @DateOfBirth datetime

set @DateOfBirth = '19660117'

select DATEDIFF(yy, @DateOfBirth, GETDATE()) - CASE WHEN DATEPART(m, @DateOfBirth) >= DATEPART(m, GETDATE()) AND DATEPART(d, @DateOfBirth) >= DATEPART(d, GETDATE()) THEN 0 ELSE...

Gianluca,

You wrote:

It looks like some queries work for some people and other queries work for some other people: the only thing I know is I would never...

Ken,

I suppose there are always multiple ways to skin a cat, but I wonder what advantage you see in using "Sum(1)" rather than "Count(*)" in your query. ...

[font="Comic Sans MS"]

Current_date dummy?

Order no partial insert;

Coalesce union.

[/font]

Excellent QOD. I spent enough time studying the code and the results in QA that I don't feel guilty about running it before choosing the correct answer :Whistling:. ...

Here's another fix. The time displays in the original script don't handle values in the first hour of the day. For instance, a job set to start at...