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SQL Server blogs

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New in SQL 2012 - code snippets and surrounding code

Posted by Andy Brown on 15 May 2012 | no comments
In a previous blog on new features of SQL 2012, I missed out the ability to insert code snippets, and also to embed or surround code in an IF, BEGIN or WHILE block. This blog rectifies this!
Tags:   SQL Server 2012 / SQL 2012   |   SQL / General
Unfortunately, Reporting Services doesn't have a simple setting that allows you to control the number of rows you see on each page. However, you can control this using a clever combination of an expression with a grouping level. Read this blog to find out how!

New features for SQL within SQL Server 2012

Posted by Andy Brown on 08 May 2012 | no comments
SQL 2012 has 14 new functions, a new FileTable construct and new ways to sequence and fetch records - as this blog explains.
Tags:   SQL Server 2012 / SQL 2012   |   SQL / General

SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 - What's New?

Posted by Andy Brown on 08 May 2012 | no comments
SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 (SSRS 2012) has been completely rewritten (it's now called SQL Server Data Tools), and yet looks strangely familiar. This blog explains the new features introduced.

Introduction to SQL Server Management Studio

Posted by Andrew Gould on 30 April 2012 | no comments
Before you get into writing SQL Queries you should take some time to familiarise yourself with the application in which you'll be spending most of your time. This blog shows you the basics of SQL Server Management Studio.

This blog is part of a complete SQL Server tutorial.

Tags:   SQL / Tables and columns

Designing databases for SQL Server and Access

Posted by Andy Brown on 23 April 2012 | no comments
Designing relational databases is easy once you learn the few basic rules, and the procedure is identical whether you're using SQL Server or Access. This blog illuminates the subject!

This blog is part of our tutorial on writing SQL.

Scheduling Data Imports in SQL Server

Posted by Andrew Gould on 27 February 2012 | no comments
If you frequently import data into a SQL Server database from the same source you'll probably be sick of going through the import wizard again and again. So why not learn how to schedule an automatic import of your data using SSIS packages and the SQL Server Agent? This blog explains how to do exactly that!
Tags:   SQL / Tables and columns

Reporting Services date parameter formats

Posted by Andy Brown on 24 February 2012 | no comments
How do you get dates to look sensibly formatted in SSRS parameters? This blog considers the issues, and appeals for help!

How to Edit all Records in a SQL Server 2008 Table

Posted by Andrew Gould on 16 February 2012 | no comments
This blog explains how you can get access to all of the records in a SQL Server 2008 table when you try to edit them, rather than just the top 200.
Tags:   SQL / Tables and columns

Calculating Age in SQL with a User-Defined Function

Posted by Andrew Gould on 16 February 2012 | no comments
A common requirement in SQL queries is calculating a person's age. The expression you need to do this accurately is relatively long, so why not replace it with a user-defined function? This blog shows you how!

This blog is part of our complete SQL Tutorial.

Tags:   SQL / Calculations   |   SQL / Functions

Changing Settings in SQL Server Management Studio

Posted by Andrew Gould on 16 February 2012 | no comments
If you've spent time in the SQL Server Management Studio application you'll probably have noticed that it's not the most user-friendly environment for writing SQL queries. This blog explains how to change a few settings to make your query writing just a little easier.

You can find many more articles like this in our complete SQL tutorial.

Tags:   SQL / SQL programming

SQL Server Tutorial

Posted by Andrew Gould on 13 February 2012 | no comments
This article provides a comprehensive tutorial in Microsoft SQL Server, taking you from the basics of writing SELECT statements all the way through to creating complex stored procedures.
Tags:   SQL / Selecting data   |   SQL / WHERE criteria   |   SQL / Calculations   |   SQL / Joins   |   SQL / Grouping   |   SQL / Stored procedures   |   SQL / Transactions   |   SQL / CTEs, subqueries

Dates and Times in SQL Server

Posted by Andrew Gould on 13 February 2012 | no comments
Dates and times can be the most frustrating data types to work with in SQL Server. Learn everything you need to know about the way dates work with this handy blog series and enjoy happier times!

This blog is part of a larger tutorial on SQL Server, which you can read here.

Tags:   SQL / WHERE criteria   |   SQL / Calculations

Making Reporting Services reports refresh automatically

Posted by Andy Brown on 30 January 2012 | 1 comment
A little nugget of information - how to arrange it so that a report written using SQL Server Reporting Services will keep refreshing automatically, to display the latest data.

Differences between Report Builder and Reporting Services

Posted by Andy Brown on 07 November 2011 | 1 comment
Report Builder and BIDS (the Visual Studio add-in for creating Reporting Services reports) are essentially the same underneath their very different looking skins. This blog lists the small number of differences.

Multivalue parameters in Reporting Services

Posted by Andy Brown on 07 November 2011 | no comments
This blog shows how to create multivalue parameters based on dropdowns, whether in SQL Server Reporting Services or Report Builder 3.0.

Install Report Builder 3.0 despite .NET 3.5 Framework error

Posted by Andy Brown on 31 October 2011 | no comments
Struggling to install Report Builder 3.0 because of a message about the .NET 3.5 framework? The problem is more likely to be to do with Internet Explorer 9.0, as this blog explains.

Common Table Expressions (CTEs) - SQL Training

Posted by Andy Brown on 20 October 2011 | no comments
This blog gives training on writing CTEs in SQL, or Common Table Expressions to give them their full title. The blog also includes a section on creating recursive CTEs.

You can find many more articles like this on our SQL tutorial page.

Tags:   SQL / CTEs, subqueries

Temporary Tables in SQL - a Training Blog

Posted by Andy Brown on 20 October 2011 | no comments
If you want training in how to use temporary tables in SQL, read on! This blog shows how to create temporary tables and how to drop them safely whether or not they exist. Finally, the blog lists the pros and cons of using temporary tables in SQL.

This article is part of a complete SQL tutorial.

Tags:   SQL / Tables and columns

Gradient Fill Colours for SSRS 2008 Chart Data Series

Posted by Andy Brown on 08 August 2011 | 1 comment
You can change the fill colour of data series in Reporting Services in a number of different ways, as explained in this article - but none of them allows you to set gradient or other effects. This blog is a rare appeal for help!
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