Padding a string in tSQL
Gotcha There isn’t a Pad Left or Pad Right function in tSQL. Solution There is a lengthy discussion about this topic already on Stack Overflow here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16760900...
Incorrect syntax was encountered while parsing :SETVAR
Gotcha When working with SQL CMD mode every now and then I will get this vague error and I can’t figure out what the problem is: A fatal scripting error occurred. Incorrect syntax was encountere...
Avoiding the Red Gate Sql compare “Non-Schema statement was ignored” warning
Gotcha I recently had to create some non-schema related objects for a database project I am working on. It caused an annoying problem with Red Gate SQL Compare where I was prompted each time I did the...
Sql Server REPLACE function makes expression string NULL when replacement string is NULL
Obscure problem This has happened to me before, but naturally I forgot because it has been a while. The scenario is that you have dynamic SQL and you are trying to replace tags in your SQL string with...
How to find the current profile required to send an email in SQL Server
Problem You are trying to send an email using “msdb..sp_send_dbmail” but you keep getting one of the following errors: Msg 14636, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_send_dbmail, Line 107 [Bat...
SQL Server rows appear to not be deleting
The Stupid Problem You are working on a database that you are not very familiar with as a developer – meaning that you are not going to think of every little thing that a DBA would think of righ...
Sql Server tSql: DELETE statement executes but won’t delete
Problem I ran into the most puzzling issue recently where I was executing a DELETE statement inside of a transaction among other statements inside of a stored procedure. Then the weirde...
I have no words for how bad this is
I think this should win the “Most Horrible Sproc Parameters” contest if there were such a thing. And then people wonder why I get mad when I see stuff like this. Just wow… Like I thi...