Create an ENUM Type in PostgreSQL

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Some RDBMSs support an enum type, which comprise a static, ordered set of values. Also known as enumerated types, enum types can be handy for making a column accept just a small set of values, such as days in the week, predefined clothing sizes, or any number of other preset values.

In PostgreSQL, if we want to create a table that uses an enum type, we need to create the enum type first, then apply it against the table. This is a bit different to other RDBMSs such as MySQL, where we don’t need to create the enum type first.

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Fix Error “The configuration option ‘fill factor’ does not exist, or it may be an advanced option” in SQL Server

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If you’re getting an error that reads “The configuration option ‘fill factor’ does not exist, or it may be an advanced option” in SQL Server, it appears that you’re trying to view or set the default fill factor configuration option.

In SQL Server, fill factor is considered an advanced configuration option. By default, advanced options aren’t available for viewing and changing. However, we can use the following technique to make them available.

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Understanding Fillfactor in SQL Server

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One of the various options we have when creating or rebuilding indexes in SQL Server is specifying a fillfactor. If we create or rebuild an index without specifying a fillfactor, then the default fillfactor is applied.

In some cases, using the default fillfactor may be fine, even ideal. In other cases it could be less than ideal, even terrible.

Let’s look at what fillfactor is, how it works, and how we can use it to enhance database performance.

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5 Ways to Return UNIQUE Constraints in SQL Server

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In SQL Server, we can use UNIQUE constraints to ensure that a column (or columns) contain only unique values. When we have a UNIQUE constraint against a column, the system will prevent any duplicate values are entered into that column.

Sometimes we need to return a list of UNIQUE constraints, so that we simply know what we’re working with. Other times we might want to create scripts for all of our UNIQUE constraints so that we can recreate the constraints later.

Regardless of the reason, here are five methods for returning UNIQUE constraints in a SQL Server database.

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Possible Reason for Error 1914 “object is not a user table or view” in SQL Server

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If you’re getting an error that reads something like “Index cannot be created on object ‘Customers’ because the object is not a user table or view” it could be that you’re trying to create an index, but there’s also a synonym of the same name (but in a different schema). It would appear that SQL Server thinks that you’re trying to create the index on the synonym instead of the table or view of the same name.

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Understanding the BREAK Keyword in SQL Server WHILE Loops

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WHILE loops are a powerful feature in most programming languages that allow developers to execute a block of code repeatedly as long as a specified condition is true. However, there are times when we may need to exit a loop prematurely based on certain criteria. SQL Server caters for this possibility with the BREAK keyword.

In this article, we’ll explore how to effectively use the BREAK keyword within WHILE loops in SQL Server.

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Using the VARIADIC Keyword with the FORMAT() Function in PostgreSQL

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When we use the format() function in PostgreSQL, we can pass any number of strings to insert into the resulting formatted string in positions that are specified in the first argument. When we do this, we might typically pass the strings as separate arguments. But this isn’t the only way to do it.

We have the option of passing the strings as array elements. That is, we can pass an array to the function, and have it extract each array element as though it’s a separate argument to insert into the formatted string.

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