September 2011

#TSQL2sDay T-SQL Tuesday 23–Early edition

T-SQL Tuesday Logo

 

Time once again for another edition of T-SQL Tuesday!  What’s that, you say?  Early?  Why yes, indeed.  Due to the potential schedule of conflict of PASS’s Summit 2011 occurring on the second Tuesday of October (the normal date for T-SQL Tuesday), I’ve gotten special permission to bump it up a week. 

To participate in this month’s T-SQL Tuesday, your post must go live between midnight UTC on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 and midnight UTC on Wednesday, October 5.

 

Your post needs to link back to this blog, and if you use the image, anchor it to this post.  Make sure you leave a comment or a trackback to this post (so I can find it later, when I write up the summary).

Topic d’jour?  JOINS (I’m in a fundamentals mood lately).  Note that I also like creative and esoteric posts, so if you can find a way to apply SQL as a metaphorical language for community activity, I’ll read it and enjoy it.  If you just want to tell me in a simple fashion the difference between a HASH and MERGE join, I’m cool with that, too.

Do me a favor, though, and please spread the word about the early date.  Looking forward to reading your submissions.

#sqlsat89 XML 201 Slide decks uploaded

Just a quick note to say I uploaded my slides from last weekend’s SQL Saturday 89; the event was a blast, and I hope to have my wrap up posted soon.   Thanks to all of those who attended; I felt like it was a great class, and I’m hoping to continue to improve in the future.

SQL Server XML 201

The xml datatype in SQL Server expands the potential of the relational platform to store increasingly complex forms of data, but without the use of the appropriate query language, much of that potential can remain unused. This session will cover the basics of SQL Server XQuery and FLWOR; the assumption is that attendees will have some basic exposure to XML (including the use of XML in SQL Server). Learn how to “run queries within a query”, and how to extract XML data into a tabular format. Coverage will include the five basic XML methods (.exist(), .value(), .query(), .nodes(), and .modify()) and FLWOR (for, let, where, order by, and return).

Upcoming presentations…

So, if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, the answer is “too frikkin’ busy to write”.  Settling in to a new marriage, changes at my job(s), and volunteer work have been a little more  time-consuming than I originally planned.  I’m hoping that’s gonna change in the near future, cause I’ve some great ideas for posts brewing in the background.

One idea that I’m really excited about is a change in the monthly meetings for AtlantaMDF (our SQL Server User Group); like most user groups, we have a meet-and-greet followed by a presentation (or two).  The presentations usually cover some mid-level to advanced topic, and usually assume that the attendees have some knowledge with SQL Server.  We’re going to tackle that assumption.

Starting at our next meeting (Monday, September 12), we’re going to present short presentations before the main one that are targeted to new users of SQL Server; the goal is to a) build up our new members, and b) help grow our speaker pool.  I’m excited to present the first topic “Stuff in the FROM clause” on Monday, so if you’re in the Alpharetta area Monday night, come by and see me.

Also coming up is our fourth SQL Saturday (#89); although I haven’t been as involved with the planning on this one as I have in years past, it’s been exciting to see it unfold.  I’m looking forward to presenting a session on XQuery, and hanging out by the user group booth. If you’re gonna be there, stop by and say Hi!