Voice of the DBA

Tag: syndicated

Getting My Alias in #SQLPrompt

I got a tweet after my SQL Prompt formatting piece that said a user would be interested in upgrading from v5 if “as ‘Alias’” was transformed into “’Alias’ = “.

Well, in v7.3, this is in there, and I didn’t realize it. You can clearly see this in the formatting actions options, which is a place I didn’t think to look.

Does this work? It sure does. Let’s examine a query you might get from a VCS or a colleague. Suppose you’re working in the new WideWorldImporters database.

You prefer to see the actual columns returned in the result set at the front of the query, with an alias = format. That’s what I prefer as well, and so I want to have the column list shown as:

PrimaryContactFullName = p.FullName,
PrimaryContactPreferredName = p.PreferredName

A quick CTRL+K, Y and I see this.

My aliases have moved.

This is a great feature for those of you that need consistent formatting. There are other alias options if you prefer the alias at the end.

Update: I originally had this as single quoted aliases, but as pointed out, that format is deprecated, so I wouldn’t use it.

And if you want to change this back, you can have a second formatting preference that you choose to reformat code before sending it back to someone else.

Give SQL Prompt a try today.

January 17, 2017
Reminder: Extending DevOps Practices to SQL Server Databases with Redgate

I’m hosting a new webinar on the DLM tools from Redgate Software and database DevOps. Tomorrow, Tues, Jan 17, at noon EST, Arneh Eskandari, a great sales engineer, will be demoing the tools and techniques to deploy changes.

You can register here and I’ll talk to you on tomorrow.

January 16, 2017
The Top 20 SQL Toolbelt Tips

Redgate produces some great software, and I’m glad that I get to use all of them as a developer and DBA. I use many of the tools each week, some daily, but I constantly find that there are plenty of features, tips, and tricks that I don’t know about.

At SQL in the City last year, I watched Tom Austin present a session where I learned a few things that will make me more productive.

The one that I need to start incorporating into my work is looking for all the references to an object with SQL Search. A quick check means that I won’t commit changes without considering all of the other objects impacting by development,

Watch all the tips below.

January 16, 2017
New Video Cards

When I want to upgrade hardware, I usually turn to Glenn Berry for advice. He’s the person I know that really watches, examines, and evaluates computer hardware. He gives good advice and upgrades often, so he actually uses the latest hardware.

One of the upsides of his hobby is that he is regularly replacing hardware. That means he regularly has older hardware. A few times I’ve asked for advice, I’ve actually ended up buying the previous generation from Glenn because he’s already upgraded. That works out well for me, since I don’t look to be on the latest and greatest.

Recently we had lunch and Glenn offered me his old Radeon R9 video card. It was ranked quite a bit higher than the GeForce GT 740 I bought last year. I didn’t need a replacement, but the price was right, and maybe I’d impress my kid a bit with the upgrade.

I went to lunch, and got a nice, geeky gift bag.

Inside was not one, but two video cards. Apparently Glenn’s MicroCenter Outlet was having a special.

The cards are on my desk as I need to some time to open up my case, replace cards, and then ensure everything comes back up correctly. I’ll need drivers, and no pressure to complete things quickly.

Hopefully I won’t need a new power supply, though I am tempted to get another monitor with all this horsepower and give Twitter and Spotify their own displays.

January 13, 2017