Don Schlichting

Introduction In last month’s article, Full Text Searching was introduced as a way to query strings with more refinement than the usual TSQL "like" or equal operator statements. With Full Text Searching, a new file system structure is created, storing key words from selected fields into Catalogs. In addition to storing typical character fields from […]

Introduction Full Text Searching is a free, optional component of MS SQL 2000. When installed, it offers a vast array of additional string querying abilities. Full Text Searching allows for string comparisons similar to internet search engines, returning both results and a matching score or weight. With regular TSQL, string matching is usually limited to […]

Introduction This is the second article in the Cursors with SQL 2000 series. In the preceding article, cursor use and basic syntax were covered. A select cursor was created demonstrating the keywords DECLARE, OPEN, FETCH, @@FETCH_STATUS, and DEALLOCATE. These keywords guide basic cursor execution by assigning a TSQL statement to the cursor, moving records into […]

This series of articles will examine the purposes, uses, and optimization of cursors in SQL 2000. Introduction SQL languages are designed so groups of records, or sets, can be manipulated easily and quickly. The speed at which groups of data can be altered, updated and deleted, demonstrates why working with sets is the preferred method. […]

This article will explain and define the OSQL utilities ability to run scripts for administration and batch work when using Microsoft SQL Server. Introduction If you have repetitive tasks to run, multiple SQL servers to administer, or a very large sequence of commands to execute, then the OSQL utility may be the tool to use. […]

Introduction Many times, new database applications are written and developed on test machines. Once completed, these new databases must somehow be moved or transferred to a production server. Moreover, while there are currently no Microsoft tools to handle SQL database source control automatically, there are a number of different methods available for us to transfer […]

This article will explain what the Microsoft Desktop Engine is, as well as when and why to use it. Introduction Microsoft application developers have often been faced with the decision of using a database engine they liked, versus an engine that was affordable to ship with the completed product. In many cases, the price point […]

Introduction Transact SQL statements are usually executed in sequential order. When a long stored procedure or statement is created, line 1 will run, followed by line 2, followed by line 3. In many cases, we will want to interrupt this normal flow. Special processing may be needed depending on the results just received. We may […]

In this second article, the use of Distributed Partitioned Views for Insert, Update, and Delete statements will be explored. Introduction In Part1, the basics of Distributed Partitioned Views, Federated Databases, and Horizontal Partitioning were reviewed. A sample Linked Server, a partitioned table and a view using the UNION operator were created. In this second part, […]

This article will explore the use of Distributed Partitioned Views for accessing multiple MS SQL Severs when configured as a Federated Database. Introduction When performance gains are needed on very large databases, and your stored procedures are already optimized, and the application is already n-tiered out, and your hardware is already upgraded, its time for […]

This article will explore Microsoft SQL server identity columns, including their problems, use and scope. Introduction An Identity column is used in SQL server to create a surrogate key value for a table. This will be a unique identifier usually in sequential order. Starting at some predefined number, the Identity column increments every time a […]

Introduction In previous articles, we created Linked Servers to Excel, Access and MS SQL. Several stored procedures were introduced for creating links, and the security profiles that accompany them. For this article, sp_AddLinkedServer and sp_AddLinkedSrvLogin should be familiar. Several different access methods have been introduced, primarily Open Query and Direct Access, as well as the […]