Assuring optimal performance of database applications starts with coding properly formulated SQL. Poorly written SQL and application code is the cause of most performance problems. As much as 75% of ...

Arthur Fuller explores the value of identity columns and the usefulness of their arbitrary values and discusses ways to use SQL Server 2000's IDENTITY_INSERT setting. Despite your numerous ...

I know in Oracle you can use DBA_TAB_COLUMNS (or ALL_TAB_COLUMNS). My SQL Server knowledge is very rusty, but can't you use the INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS view?

As I discussed in an earlier column, SQL Server keeps a plan cached for each query it sees (assuming the query requires planning in the first place, of course). That's great for speeding up processing ...

In my last column (published in the February e-edition and the March print edition of DBTA), I reviewed the overall coding landscape for SQL Server with special focus on LINQ to SQL, a new technology ...

Modifies a column's values in existing rows of a table or view. Restriction: You cannot use UPDATE on a table accessed via an engine that does not support UPDATE processing. You can update one or more ...