t-sql

Understanding FORMATMESSAGE() in SQL Server

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When you’re working with SQL Server, sometimes you don’t just want to throw an error. Sometimes you want to build a message you can actually use elsewhere. That’s where FORMATMESSAGE() comes in. Instead of immediately printing a message like RAISERROR does, FORMATMESSAGE() gives you the formatted string back so you can decide what to do with it. This could include logging it, storing it, displaying it, or simply passing it along.

In simple terms, you can think of it as a way to take a predefined message from sys.messages (or even a custom string you provide) and turn it into a neatly formatted output. This can be quite handy when you need more control over how messages are handled in your SQL workflows.

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OPENJSON() vs JSON_VALUE() When Parsing JSON in SQL Server

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Working with JSON in SQL Server often comes down to choosing the right function for the job. Two of the most common options are OPENJSON() and JSON_VALUE(). Both are designed to pull data out of JSON documents, but they work in very different ways and are suited to different scenarios. Knowing when to use each one can save time and simplify your queries.

This article breaks down how OPENJSON() and JSON_VALUE() handle JSON parsing, what makes them different, and the situations where one might be a better fit than the other. Whether you are cleaning up nested JSON or just extracting a single value, understanding these functions will help you work more effectively with JSON data in SQL Server.

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2 Ways to Format Numbers with Thousand Separators and Decimals in SQL Server

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When you need to make numbers easier to read in SQL Server, adding thousand separators and controlling decimal places can make all the difference. This is especially true in reports or user-facing queries. Instead of squinting at a long string of digits, formatted output lets values like 1234567.89 appear as 1,234,567.89, making them much quicker to understand.

SQL Server offers a few ways to do this, but two stand out for their simplicity and reliability. The first is with the FORMAT() function, which gives you full control over how numbers look (and even supports different cultures). The second is the CONVERT() approach, which works well for quick, no-frills formatting when using the money data type. Both are easy to use, and I provide examples of each in this article.

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Top 5 Data Conversion Errors in SQL Server and How to Avoid Them

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Data conversion errors can be a frequent source of frustration when working with databases. And SQL Server is no exception. Such errors can interrupt workflows and lead to inconsistent results. While data conversion errors often happen during explicit conversions, they aren’t unique to this. Oftentimes the error can be due to an implicit conversion.

This article outlines five of the most common data conversion errors and provides practical steps to avoid them.

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How to Replace INSTR() with CHARINDEX() and PATINDEX() in SQL Server

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If you’ve worked with Oracle or MySQL before, you may have used the INSTR() function to find the position of a substring inside a string. But when you’re porting code to SQL Server, you’ll quickly notice that INSTR() isn’t available. Instead, you’ll need to use either CHARINDEX() or PATINDEX(), depending on what you’re trying to do.

The good news is that both functions are pretty straightforward once you know the difference. CHARINDEX() handles simple substring searches, while PATINDEX() adds the ability to use patterns. In this article, we’ll walk through how each one works and how you can swap them in when you’d otherwise use INSTR().

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How to Drop and Recreate a Primary Key Constraint in SQL Server

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In relational database management systems (RDBMSs) like SQL Server, the primary key constraint is a fundamental element that uniquely identifies each record in a table and enforces data integrity. However, there are situations where you might need to drop and then recreate this constraint. Such situations could include modifying the primary key columns, changing data types, resolving design issues, etc.

Understanding how to safely remove and reapply primary key constraints is extremely important for maintaining database consistency and minimizing downtime during schema changes.

In this article, we’ll walk through how to safely drop and then re-add a primary key constraint without breaking your database.

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Using DROP TABLE IF EXISTS When Working with Temporary Tables in SQL Server

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In SQL Server, when working with temporary tables, it’s common to ensure a temp table with the same name doesn’t already exist before creating it. This prevents any unwanted errors. SQL Server doesn’t support CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS like some other DBMSs do, so you must explicitly check and drop the table beforehand.

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Converting Between Time Zones in SQL Server with AT TIME ZONE

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Converting between time zones in SQL Server has evolved throughout the years. Prior to SQL Server 2016, there was no simple, built-in function to handle this task. We had to use a complex, multi-step approach involving functions like SWITCHOFFSET() and TODATETIMEOFFSET(), and we had to manually account for Daylight Saving Time (DST) rules for each time zone. This method was often prone to error and required constant maintenance to keep up with changing time zone and DST regulations.

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Convert DDMMYYYY to DATE in SQL Server

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Sometimes you might get dates in a non-standard format, such as DDMMYYYY. By “non-standard” I mean a format that SQL Server doesn’t recognize as a date. Such a format is actually a little ambiguous. Some dates presented in this format could be mistaken for another date. For example, 02082026 could be August 2, 2026, or it could be February 8, 2026 depending on which locale you’re using.

Therefore, we need to do a bit of work in order to get SQL Server to recognize it as a date. Once that’s done, it’s a simple matter of converting it to an actual DATE type.

Below are a few options for converting a DDMMYYYY string to a DATE in SQL Server.

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