In MySQL, the event_scheduler system variable is used to start and stop the Event Scheduler, as well as enable or disable it.
At runtime we can set the value to ON or OFF, and we can check the current value of the variable. We can also disable the Event Scheduler at server startup, but we can’t do this at runtime. However, we can still check the event_scheduler variable to see whether it’s enabled or disabled.
Most SQL databases have a handful of “ranking” functions that allow us to rank data. By “handful”, I mean there’s a common set of around six SQL rank functions that most of the major RDBMSs appear to support.
SQL rank functions allow us to assign ranks or row numbers to result sets.
Continue readingWhile INNER and LEFT JOINs are the workhorses of SQL queries, T-SQL offers several more advanced join techniques that can be invaluable for complex data analysis and manipulation. This article explores some of these powerful join methods and how they can enhance our queries.
Below are the string literal date formats that SQL Server supports for the datetime2 data type. These are the formats that we can provide when setting a datetime2 date from a string literal.
Continue readingIn MySQL we can use the CREATE EVENT statement to create scheduled events. As with many CREATE ... statements, we have the option of using the IF NOT EXISTS clause to specify that the object should only be created if it doesn’t already exist.
Of course, we wouldn’t normally be trying to create an event if we know that it already exists. But there may be times where we’re not sure, and we want our code to handle this scenario without throwing an error if an event with the same name already exists. This is common when creating scripts that are designed to be run across multiple environments. That’s where the IF NOT EXISTS clause can come in handy.
When we create a scheduled event in MySQL, we have the option of adding a comment to the event. This comment can be a string of up to 64 characters. We have a couple of options when it comes to viewing the comment of an existing event.
Continue readingIn MySQL we can use the ALTER EVENT statement to make changes to existing scheduled events, including changing the name of the event.
In MySQL, scheduled events are tasks that run according to a specified schedule. When we no longer require an event we can drop it so that it doesn’t take up unnecessary room in the system. We have a couple of ways of going about this.
Continue readingWhen we create a scheduled event in MySQL, it’s enabled by default. But we can change this.
We can create an event in disabled status, then enable it later. Or we can do the opposite – create it as an enabled event and then disable it later.
Continue readingIn MySQL, GIPKs are invisible by definition. GIPK stands for generated invisible primary key, and it’s basically an invisible column automatically created by MySQL with a primary key constraint.
However, just because GIPKs are automatically created invisible, it doesn’t mean that we can’t “unhide” them – or make them visible.
We can make a GIPK visible just as we would make any other invisible column visible – use the ALTER TABLE statement to set it to VISIBLE.