SSMS and SQLCMD: Prevent T-SQL Batch From Not Only Executing, but Also From Parsing (Cruel Joke #3)

(last updated: 2021-08-13 @ 19:50 ET / 2021-08-13 @ 23:50 UTC ) In a previous post, Prevent Full Script Execution (Understanding and Using PARSEONLY and NOEXEC), I explained how to easily disable a script using the PARSEONLY session setting. That same method can be used to disable one or more sections within a script instead… Continue reading SSMS and SQLCMD: Prevent T-SQL Batch From Not Only Executing, but Also From Parsing (Cruel Joke #3)

Is the [sysname] SQL Server System Data Type Alias Name Case-Insensitive?

(last updated: 2021-07-05 @ 14:00 EST / 2021-07-05 @ 18:00 UTC ) The sysname data type (in SQL Server) is a system-provided, though not built-in, alias for NVARCHAR(128). This alias is used for nearly all identifiers (i.e. names of tables, columns, indexes, databases, logins, etc.), starting in SQL Server 7.0 (for a full list of… Continue reading Is the [sysname] SQL Server System Data Type Alias Name Case-Insensitive?

SQL Server Collations: What does “CP1” mean in “SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS”?

(last updated: 2021-12-11 @ 18:00 EST / 2021-12-11 @ 23:00 UTC ) Many of us that work with Microsoft SQL Server, especially those of us working on systems with US English as the OS language, or anyone working with SQL Server Express LocalDB (commonly referred to as just “LocalDB”), have had to deal with the… Continue reading SQL Server Collations: What does “CP1” mean in “SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS”?

sys.xp_delete_files and ‘allow filesystem enumeration’: two new undocumented items in SQL Server 2019

sys.xp_delete_files and 'allow filesystem enumeration': two new undocumented items in SQL Server 2019

Specific String Pattern Magically Hidden From Step Output in SQL Agent History

Specific String Pattern Magically Hidden From Step Output in SQL Agent History. Who Knew?

Maximum Number of Rows for the Table Value Constructor

What is the maximum number of rows for the Table Value Constructor? And, do different uses of it behave differently?

Error -2068643839 / 1602 Installing msoledbsql.msi, msodbcsql.msi, and sqlncli.msi for SQL Server 2019 (CTP or RTM)

Installing SQL Server 2019 CTP 2.5 fails with almost no useful info. Searching on code or message finds nothing. This post fixes that šŸ˜Ž

Can a Certificate’s Private Key be Imported / Restored From a Binary Literal / Hex Bytes ?

Can a Certificate's Private Key be Restored From a Binary Literal / Hex Bytes? The Documentation Says, "No". What Does SQL Server Say?

What Does the Undocumented UNCOMPRESS Function Do?

Ever notice how IntelliSense in SSMS lists functions that don't work or aren't documented? Here's documentation for one that works: UNCOMPRESS

How Does DBCC CHECKIDENT Really Work When Resetting the Identity Seed (RESEED)?

Does resetting an Identity Seed to a specific value via DBCC CHECKIDENT(..., RESEED, new_seed_value) work the way the documentation states? It depends šŸ™ƒ