JSON indexing in SQL Server 2025: how it works and current limitations
This guide has everything you need to know about JSON indexing in SQL Server 2025: what it is, how it works, and current limitations.
Looking for New Blood
You may not be old, but I sure am. As I travel around to all the different conferences to speak, whether we're talking a dev conference, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL, one of the topics that keeps coming up is age. The age of the organizers. It's mostly the same people putting on events for the […]
Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization vs. Parameter Sniffing: What SQL Server Fixes and What It Doesn't
See how SQL Server's Parameter Sensitive Plan optimization handles skewed parameters, how to verify dispatcher plans, and where PSP still falls short.
The End of Summer
It's the first week of September, but Steve sees it as the end of summer. It's a time to catch up on things.
How to avoid nested REPLACE functions with TRANSLATE in SQL Server
This guide covers how TRANSLATE() works, how it compares to REPLACE(), and where it falls short compared to other SQL dialects like PostgreSQL and Oracle.
Importing Excel files into SQL Server using DuckDB and Python
Learn to use DuckDB to read data from Excel and then send it to SQL Server with Python and Pandas.
Measuring Productivity
Today Steve wonders if the data professionals out there measure themselves on the job.
Database Animations: The Difference Between Row Compression and Page Compression
What's the difference between SQL Server's row compression and page compression, and when does each one make sense?
How Can SQL Server Detect Application Errors When Developers Can’t?
How a simple Extended Events session can turn you from a silent guardian to a developer’s best ally. There is an old, undeniable paradox in the life of a Database Administrator: If you do your job perfectly, nobody remembers you exist, only when you resolve problems. When queries are fast, backups are pristine, and the […]
Preserving Data
Today Steve has a few comments on backups and your ability to get to a restore in the event of an issue with your provider.
Blogs
Prep data for AI vs. Fabric Data Agent Instructions: What Goes Where?
By James Serra
Making Data AI-Ready, Part 3 (This is the final article in a three-part series...
Keeping Track of my ConEmu CLIs
By Steve Jones
I use ConEmu for my terminal interface. I’m still on Windows 10 at home,...
10 Decisions to Make Before You Create A Fabric Workspace
Creating a Fabric workspace takes about 30 seconds. Restructuring workspaces after people have built...
Forums
A design question in a parent child relationship
I am not sure which is the best way to proceed. I have parent...
Hyperscale Replicas III
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Development Is Fun
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Development Is Fun
Question of the Day
Hyperscale Replicas III
In an Azure SQL Database Hyperscale Edition, how many named replicas can be configured?
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