Category: SQLBasics

For a while now, I’ve been talking about specific functions used within SQL Server. For example, I’ve talked about DATALENGTH, REPLICATE, and STUFF, along with many others. And all that is great and should be known if you work with SQL Server on a regular basis. But today, I want to talk about the different…

Last time, we were able to go over a way to group data that is probably not familiar to many. This time, I want to go over an extra piece to that puzzle that should add even more functionality to your repertoire when it comes to data functionality. First, we have the basic query that…

A lot of the time you’re going to be asked to group items. Sometimes, you have to look at the exact same data in multiple ways. It can be just flat ugly to look at but it does what you need to. Well, today we can talk about a way to make it a bit…

Sometimes you’ll find a fun little function that can actually help you out a lot with your coding. Today’s function is just that for me. When I first heard about QUOTENAME, I was like “This is rather useless. It just puts brackets around whatever. I can do it just as easily hard-coding the strings.” Truly,…

Time for some real talk, my friends. When I first started working with SQL Server, I learned how to program in quite possibly the worst way possible – from “experts” who had just been let go from the company I worked at. For a good month, I walked through every bit of SQL code I…

Previously, we talked about the REPLACE and TRANSLATE functions and how similar, but not quite the same they are. Today, I want to talk about yet another function that does something similar but not quite the same. Today, I want to discuss the STUFF function and how it can add or even replace parts of…

Most of us have used the REPLACE function several times in our daily lives. This function, as you may remember, takes one string and replaces it with another, as seen below: There is another function within SQL Server that many people think does the same thing, but with a slight nuance. Sometimes, you just need…

In our last session together, one of the many items we talked about was the fact that I asked that you use the DATALENGTH function instead of the LEN function because you could be using UNICODE data. The LEN function is used in SQL to find out – surprise, surprise – the length of a…

One of the many fun things we’re asked to do as a person who works with data is that we’re asked to do some manipulation of data – especially when we’re asked to pad data with 0’s to make a string longer that is numerical. For example, I’ve been asked many times to provide data…

A lot of times, you’re asked to find where two different tables have the same data. Thankfully, this is a fairly normal ask. Sometimes, though, you’re asked to see if they have the same data in 20 – 30 fields! I don’t know about y’all, but I definitely don’t want to have to type in…