In my previous job, we had several cases where schema changes or incorrect developer assumptions in the middle tier or application logic would lead to type mismatches.  We would have a stored procedure that returns a BIT column, but then change the procedure to have something like CASE WHEN <condition> THEN 1 ELSE 0 END.  In this ...

On Wednesday I presented my ''What's New in Denali'' presentation in Charlotte, NC.  Attached is a .zip file containing the PowerPoint presentation, as well as the scripts used in the demos and some sample snippet XML files.

One complaint about SEQUENCE is that there is no simple construct such as NEXT (@n) VALUES FOR so that you could get a range of SEQUENCE values as a set.  In a previous post about SEQUENCE, I mentioned that to get a range of rows, you should use the system stored procedure sys.sp_sequence_get_range.  If you've tried this stored ...

One of the reasons for contained databases (see my previous post) is to allow for a more seamless transition when moving a database from one server to another.  One of the biggest complications in doing so is making sure that all of the logins are in place on the new server.  Contained databases help solve this issue by creating a new ...

Attached are the slides and samples from my presentation to the Philadelphia SQL Server User Group on December 8 (Denali_PSSUG_20101208.zip).  Please let me know if you have any problems.  

Sorry to call this out in a separate post (I talked about a bunch of SSMS Connect items the other day), but Aaron Nelson (blog | twitter) jogged my memory today about an issue that has gone unfixed for years: the custom coloring for Registered Servers is neither consistent nor global. For one of my servers, I've chosen a red color to show in the ...

Microsoft's new data platform vision for BI is called BISM - Business Intelligence Semantic Model.  While I focus primarily on manageability, availability and database engine features, I'd like to keep tabs on who can help you out with their input on the other aspects I rarely touch - Analysis Services (SSAS), Integration Services (SSIS), and ...

It's been a while since I hosted a true Connect pity party digest, trying to pimp your votes for the issues I think are worthwhile.  And okay, some of these bugs haven't been filed in the Denali time frame - but those are still in Denali's version of SSMS.  And since we are not expecting a release for a year, and the next CTP won't be ...

While it's still only the CTP1 timeframe, getting a glimpse of the changes in system objects can start preparing you for what's coming - especially when there are potential breaking changes, as you'll see below.  Sure, a few of these things can change (and hopefully be fixed!) as the product gets closer to release, but once you have the ...

This afternoon, Adam Machanic (blog | twitter) reminded me how the current T-SQL debugger in Management Studio is ineffective.  Sure, there are some enhancements coming in Denali (I mentioned them briefly yesterday), but there are some real key elements missing.  One of the most glaring omissions is the ability to see the contents of ...