DBMS – Page 16

Convert MMDDYYYY to DATE in SQL Server

August 4, 2025 by Ian

Sometimes we get dates in a format that SQL Server has trouble with when we try to convert them to an actual DATE value. One example would be dates in MMDDYYYY format. While it might be easy to assume that SQL Server would be able to handle this easily, when we stop to think about it, this format is fraught with danger.

The MMDDYYYY format is ambiguous. While we might know that the first two digits are for the month, SQL Server doesn’t know this. Some countries/regions use the first two digits for the day (like DDMMYYYY). So if we get a date like, 01032025, how would SQL Server know whether it’s the first day of the third month, or the third day of the first month?

Formatting DATE as MMDDYYYY in SQL Server

August 6, 2025August 3, 2025 by Ian

In SQL Server, we have several options when it comes to formatting a DATE or DATETIME value as MMDDYYYY. The two most common functions for formatting dates like this are CONVERT() and FORMAT().

The Difference Between LIST_SELECT() and LIST_SLICE() in DuckDB

August 2, 2025 by Ian

DuckDB has a list_select() function and a list_slice() function, and both do a similar thing. They allow us to extract values from lists based on their index in the list. But they’re quite different in the way they work. One function allows us to select elements based on a range, while the other function allows us to handpick each element we want returned.

Round vs Format in SQL Server: Which to Use for Decimal Precision?

August 1, 2025 by Ian

When working with numbers in SQL Server, both ROUND() and FORMAT() can be used to round the numeric values to a given decimal precision. But that doesn’t mean we should use them interchangeably. Each function serves a different purpose and has its distinct use cases.

How to Find Users Connected to SQL Server (T-SQL)

July 31, 2025 by Ian

Checking which users are connected to a SQL Server can be useful for both performance and security. It helps database admins see who’s using the system, what applications they’re running, and from where. This makes it easier to troubleshoot issues like slow queries or high resource usage. It also helps spot unusual or unauthorized access, such as logins from unknown machines or at odd times. Regularly reviewing active connections is a simple way to keep the server running smoothly and securely.

Below are five queries we can use to check which users are connected to a SQL Server instance.

How to Run SQL Server on your Mac with Azure SQL (for Free)

July 30, 2025 by Ian

If you’re a Mac developer, setting up SQL Server locally is probably starting to feel like more trouble than it’s worth. Between workarounds like Docker, virtual machines, and third-party tools, just getting a working SQL Server environment on macOS is not exactly your run-of-the-mill installation.

Add to that Microsoft’s announcement to retire SQL Edge in September 2025 (SQL Edge was our only hope of installing SQL Server on a Mac without using a virtual machine), not to mention the impending retirement of Azure Data Studio in Feb 2026 (which we could use to connect to SQL Server), and you may start to wonder whether you should drop the whole idea of using SQL Server altogether.

5 Functions that Extract the Month from a Date in DuckDB

July 29, 2025 by Ian

Sometimes when working with SQL databases like DuckDB, we need to return the month part from a date for presentation or for further processing. DuckDB provides us with a handful of functions that can help in this regard.

In this article, we’ll look at five different functions we can use to extract the month from a date in DuckDB.

Connect to Azure SQL Database Using VS Code

July 28, 2025 by Ian

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is an excellent tool for connecting to Azure SQL Database and managing data right from within your development environment. With a few simple steps, you can run queries, explore tables, and integrate database tasks into your development workflow.

This article walks you through connecting to Azure SQL using VS Code.

Install SQL Server Command Line Tools on a Mac

July 27, 2025 by Ian

mssql-tools is a command-line utility developed by Microsoft that provides tools for interacting with Microsoft SQL Server environments. It includes sqlcmd for executing Transact-SQL (T-SQL) queries and scripts, and bcp (Bulk Copy Program) for importing and exporting large volumes of data. These tools can be useful when you want to manage SQL Server directly from the terminal without relying on graphical interfaces.

One cool thing about mssql-tools is that it’s cross-platform. It can be installed on macOS, Linux, and Windows machines. This makes it ideal for modern development environments, especially when working with cloud-based solutions like Azure SQL Database.

In this article, we’ll look at how to install mssql-tools on a Mac and use it to connect securely to an Azure SQL Database.

Create a Resource Group in the Azure Portal

July 26, 2025 by Ian

An Azure resource group is a container that logically organizes related Azure resources, allowing for easier management, deployment, and access control of those resources. When we do things like create a SQL database, we need to create a resource group for the database to belong to. We can create the resource group while creating the database, but we can also create the resource group separately.

This article shows the steps for creating a resource group separately, from the Azure portal home page.