Voice of the DBA

Tag: syndicated

  • Daily Coping 18 Jun 2020

    I’ve started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here.

    Today’s tip is to say positive things in your conversation with others today.

    I’m writing this a few days early, but there’s a lot of anger in the world lately. I’ve tried to really project more positivity. Not succeeding as much as I like, but I am trying to move forward, rather than revisit history.

    As I interact with people, I remember that. I have some disagreements with people, but I’ve tried to remember to complement them, and find the good in them. I saw some kids recently that I hadn’t see in a few years. I remembered to ask about their lives and then cheer on their successes. Express sympathy at the struggles (one graduated from high school, with no graduation), but turn this to positive and hope for the future and root for their college experience to start in the fall.

    It’s easy to complain, gripe, and be upset these days. It’s OK, and some of those feelings are acceptable, but remember to celebrate the good things.  There is always Some Good News in the world.

  • Where are Sequences?–#SQLNewBlogger

    Another post for me that is simple and hopefully serves as an example for people trying to get blogging as #SQLNewBloggers.

    I created a few sequence objects lately to test some things. Since I tended to create and use these, I knew the names. Coming back a few days later, with new queries, I wondered where these were stored. This post shows a few things I learned.

    SSMS

    Where would you think Sequences are stored. They are a weird object, with the NEXT VALUE FOR syntax being used. This feels DDL-ish. However, if we look at the Object Explorer, there aren’t a lot of choices here.

    2020-05-12 10_36_03-SQLQuery7.sql - ARISTOTLE_SQL2017.way0utwest (ARISTOTLE_Steve (56))_ - Microsoft

    The area that seems most promising is Programmability, and when I check here, I see them.

    2020-05-12 10_37_00-SQLQuery7.sql - ARISTOTLE_SQL2017.way0utwest (ARISTOTLE_Steve (56))_ - Microsoft

    If I look at the properties, I can see the settings, which is good. I especially like seeing the current value.

    2020-05-12 10_37_20-Sequence Properties - MyKey

     

    T-SQL

    Since this is an object, it ought to be query-able from T-SQL. sys.objects is a good place to start, and when I query, I see this:

    Sequence object results from sys.objects

    Good, but not a lot of information here. With SQLPrompt, I do see there is another choice, sys.sequences.

    SQL Prompt Intellisense with sys.sequences

    If I query this DMV, I now see the same information from sys.objects at the top of the result set.

    First few columns of sys.sequences

    If I scroll, I can see more of the metadata I am looking for. Last_used_value is important, though I wonder what caching does here. A post for another day.

    metadata for the sequence from the DMV

    ADS

    Azure Data Studio has an Object Explorer, but it’s not as useful, as you can see. No options to get data. In ADS, I’d query the DMV.

    Azure Data Studio Object Explorer with just a Refresh option

    SQLNewBlogger

    This was a quick post, as I tried to find information. Once I did, which took just a minute, I decided to spend 5-10 minutes assembling this post and trying the various tools to get information.

    A quick look at how I find the information. You could focus a small post in this way on some learning effort you make.

  • Daily Coping 17 Jun 2020

    I’ve started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here.

    Today’s tip is to take a photo of something that brings you joy and share it.

    I try to take a lot of pictures. It’s to capture memories of moments, of times with my family and animals. I have loved having a mobile device that makes this possible.

    Here’s a recent one. In Colorado, we’ve started to open slowly. One thing that has been allowed in some places is getting together with stable groups, so those that don’t change from meeting to meeting. That has allowed me to start coaching again, not for competition, but for a release and helping my team get ready for next season’s tryouts.

    We’ve had a couple practices a week, just kids, no parents, and we keep our equipment separate and clean.

    20200602_122239

    They’re kids, so I’ve blurred the image, but it was wonderful to see them, having some fun, hearing how excited they are and listening to their challenges.

    They bring my joy and touch my heart.

  • Daily Coping 16 Jun 2020

    I’ve started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here.

    Today’s tip is to find the joy in music today: sing, play, dance, or listen.

    I love music, and I covered some things in a few different tips (here and here).

    I also play. I sometimes have a guitar at my desk, and I work through different songs. It’s been a long time that I barely played, but this year I’ve rediscovered this, and especially during the pandemic. I find myself sitting outside in the evening after work in laying in bed and just strumming some songs.

    I follow Marty Music, and try to learn from him. Lately, I’ve been working on a bunch of Beatles songs, just enjoying playing them and getting family to sing along. A few I’ve gotten passable in the last few months:

    • Something
    • While My Guitar Gently Weeps
    • Norwegian Wood
    • In My Life

    Still struggling with Dear Prudence, as my fingers are apparently not as long as George Harrisons. My middle son has much better luck with that one.