Using parameters with multiple values in SQL Server Reporting Services
In one of my SQL courses; 6236: Reporting Services, we learn how to create an “All” option in the values dropdown list of a parameter and see how to “wire up” the All option so that, when selected, the...
View ArticleSQL Server – Working with Validation in SSIS 2008R2
SSIS validates packages to ensure that they will execute properly. SQL Server Validation occurs both as a package is opened in the BIDS design environment (Design-Time Validation) and just before the...
View ArticleUnderstanding Isolation Levels in SQL Server 2008 R2 and 2012 through Examples
On your way to work, you stop by an ATM. Just as you are punching in your secret code, so is a family member punching in their secret code at an ATM across town. You are going to transfer $400 …...
View ArticleUnderstanding Database Building Blocks in SQL Server
Every house has a kitchen, at least one bathroom and a bedroom, a front door, a plumbing system, and other things. These things can be arranged in different ways and in different numbers to produce...
View ArticleSQL Server -The Self-Join Query
There are times when it is necessary to join a table to itself. Let’s take a look at the Employee table in the AdventureWorks database to understand the need for a self-join and then how to put one...
View ArticleHow to Create a .Net Stored Procedure in SQL Server
One of the most exciting features of SQL Server is its ability to leverage the power of .Net. With .Net, SQL Server can more efficiently perform procedural tasks that are so inefficient in SQL, or...
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How to select multiple SQL Server database objects in SSMS
My students sometimes ask me how they can script multiple tables, views, or other database objects at once without having to do it one at a time. They correctly point out that you can select only one...
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Using TEXTSIZE to limit the amount of text displayed by the Select statement
My students sometimes ask me how they might limit the amount of text displayed in large text columns, like nvarchar(max), for example. Data types like nvarchar(max), varchar(max), varbinary(max), text,...
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How to Create a Simple Find Feature for your SQL Server Database
As we see in the SQL100:Introduction to Transact-SQL and SQL250:Transact-SQL for Developers courses, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) has a view (aka panel or window) called Object Explorer that...
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Alternating Row Colors in SQL Server SSRS
Here is a simple report with alternating row colors; in this case, PaleGoldenRod and LightSteelBlue: In order to create alternating colors, we start by going to the Design tab and selecting the detail...
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How to Use Values from Previous or Next Rows in a Query in SQL Server
I recently came across a problem that required having to perform a calculation in a query that involved a value in the current row and a value in the previous row. In SQL Server versions prior to...
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Using XML to Find Errors in a SQL Reporting Services Report
As we see in the BI779 SQL Server Reporting Services course, a report’s rdl file is actually an XML file. One of the benefits of an XML file is that, since it is text and includes all the objects of …...
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Adding a Secondary Axis to a SQL Reporting Services Chart
What happens when you use the same scale to compare values that are actually in different scales? Have a look at this chart that was generated using Reporting Services and notice that you can barely...
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How to get SQL Server Management Studio SSMS to Recognize an Existing Object
Ever get this message in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when you’re certain that the object exists? Then it proves you right when you go ahead and execute the command anyway? Why does SSMS...
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Working with Stepped and Block Formats in SQL SSRS
There are two ways you can format grouped data in a table data region in SSRS: You can use the stepped format or the block format. I’ll show you an example of each, how to create them, and then how …...
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How to Implement Expand All/Collapse All for Drill-Down in SQL SSRS
While SSRS allows drill-down into individual groups in a Tablix, there is no built-in, direct support for an “expand all/collapse all” capability that would allow all groups to be simultaneously...
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Which Databases and Tables Did You CDC-Enable?
In the 10777 course on data warehouses, we see how to use an SQL Server technology called Change Data Capture. We see how CDC allows data changes made to a line-of-business database to be captured so...
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How to Make a Cover Page for Your SQL Server SSRS Report
A cover page is simply a page that comes before the report data and that usually contains a report title and other identifying information. It can add clarity to your report and give it a clean,...
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How to Audit Report Execution in SSRS
Do you need to know how often a report runs, who or what processes run the report, how long it takes to run, statistics on report parameters, which reports are not being used, and so on? SQL Server...
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Object Prefixes: Friend or Foe?
Contrary to popular belief, prefixing object names isn’t always a good idea and some professionals have dropped the practice entirely. To see why this is, let’s take a look at database object names as...
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