Continuous integration is a popular concept in software development right now. One of the key components of this is making sure you always have a clean build of your program. This can also be applied to database development. This article shows how to build a cheap simple series of scripts that will let to rebuild a development database at the click...

Routines to improve the way that trace messages are retrieved. The goal is to make it easy to get the trace messages from the AppSession AppSessionTrace and AppSessionMeasurement tables....

In this issue we complete the session by calling usp_AppSession_End. This procedure handles two functions. First it updates the AppSession table with the final update date and duration for the session. Second it optionally writes a series of metrics to the AppSessionMeasurement table. These metrics can be used to store numbers strings and dates...

SQL Query Analyzer s UI limits extended properties to 255 characters. This tip shows how to add bigger extended properties and the UDF required to get them back from SQL Server s sysproperties table....

This article explains about tracing facility in SQL Server for recoding what stored procedures and other programs do. This installment in the series writes messages to the trace table or to SQL Query Analyzer s results pane....

Before working with traces and showing you the code that writes trace output we have to discuss another concept that I use for organizing trace output. The concept is the session. For me sessions represent a single use of a program. The program might be a Windows Forms program SQL Agent Job a stored procedure or an ASP.Net on-line user session....

SQL Server 2005 allows the creation of User Defined Aggregates in VB.Net or C . This article shows how simple it is to create and use a user defined aggregate....

Like the SQL Server ErrorLog the SQL Server Agent ErrorLog is stored in a text file on the servers disk. It s usually in the subdirectory MSSQLLog under the location were the SQL Server Instance s code is installed. This article s code is a UDF udf_SQLA_ErrorLogFile that reads the registry to find the location of this log file....

This article explains about the transaction log that SQL Server maintains for transaction and database recovery about the process of getting a message from a piece of code to the person responsible for responding to the message. The first such person is usually the DBA for the site. But if the message reflects a problem in the code it may often...

Query Analyzer offers a template feature that acts as an aid in producing all types of SQL code. There are templates for stored procedures triggers and user-defined functions. There are also templates for using some system stored procedures such as the ones to manage extended properties....

SQL Server 2005 formerly known as Yukon should be arriving sometime in 2005. This book shows developers many of the ways that they can work with the new features in SQL Server 2005. It does a good job but if you re going to read it do so quickly. As new beta code is distributed this book is aging quickly....

The .Net framework is a great start for building business applications. This presentation discusses the alternative possibilities for distributing smart client applications such as XCOPY Setup projects that make a Windows Installer MSI No-Touch deployment With and without the NetRun tool Microsoft s Patterns-and-Practices Updater Application Block...

Novick Software anounces the opening of the Programmer s Shop at Cafe Press. The shop offers fun merchandise forprogrammers and those who love them. Featured products are SQL Guru SQL DBA mugs and .Net Guru caps. These products make the prefect holiday gift for the SQL DBA or SQL Guru in your office....

By Mike Gunderloy Sometimes buying software is simple. If you want a copy of a simple HTML editor for example you just go to the vendor s Web site find out how much it costs fill out the online order form with your credit card number and download your copy. But as you start dealing with more complex programs this simple model breaks down....

Should you stick with SQL Server 7.0 or spend the big bucks to move to SQL Server 2000 To help you make your decision here are some things to think about....