what is – Page 13

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

February 4, 2026August 21, 2025 by Ian

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.

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.

Extracting the First Non-NULL Value from a List with DuckDB’s LIST_ANY_VALUE() Function

July 25, 2025 by Ian

DuckDB provides us with a good selection of list functions. This includes a list_any_value() function, which returns the first non-NULL value from a given list.

The Difference Between RANGE() and GENERATE_SERIES() in DuckDB

July 21, 2025 by Ian

DuckDB offers two handy functions for generating sequences of numbers: range() and generate_series(). While they both do the same thing, and share basically the same syntax, there is one important difference between them.

The primary difference between them is in their inclusivity behavior with regard to the stop value.

Convert a Table to a JSON Document with JSON_GROUP_OBJECT() in DuckDB

July 20, 2025 by Ian

In DuckDB, the json_group_object() function is a convenient way to aggregate data into JSON objects by pairing keys and values across rows within groups.

The function is especially useful when we’re transforming tabular data into a more hierarchical or nested JSON structure for web APIs, reporting, or downstream processing. It helps pivot rows into a single JSON object, making the data more compact and easier to consume in applications that require JSON formats.

Appending Values to Lists with 3 DuckDB Functions

July 18, 2025 by Ian

Appending values to lists is a common task when working with DuckDB and other DBMSs (not to mention programming languages in general). Usually we’ll get a function that’s purpose built for the task. As it turns out, DuckDB provides us with at least three functions to do this task.

3 Functions for Extracting a Value from a List in DuckDB

July 17, 2025 by Ian

DuckDB provides us with a list_extract() function that extracts a value from a list, based on the element’s index in that list.

But as if one function isn’t enough, it also provides us with a couple of aliases that we can use instead of list_extract() if we prefer.

So let’s call it three functions that we can use to extract a value from a list.

DUCKDB_TABLES() Examples

November 15, 2025July 16, 2025 by Ian

The duckdb_tables() function is a system function in DuckDB that provides useful metadata about all tables in your database. The function returns a table containing information about each table, including its schema, name, and various properties. It can be quite a handy tool for database introspection and management.

6 Functions for Working with the Unix Epoch in DuckDB

July 14, 2025 by Ian

DuckDB offers a versatile set of functions to handle timestamps at various levels of precision. This article explores some of DuckDB’s functions that help us to convert between epoch representations and timestamps.

These specialized time conversion functions can be handy tools when working with temporal data, allowing seamless translation between human-readable timestamps and machine-optimized epoch representations at varying levels of precision.

The Difference Between DATE_DIFF() and DATE_SUB() in DuckDB

July 13, 2025 by Ian

In DuckDB, the date_diff() (along with its synonym datediff()) and date_sub() (along with its synonym datesub()) functions allow us to get the difference between two dates. While they might seem similar, they actually calculate date differences in distinct ways that are important to understand for accurate data analysis.

Let’s take a look at the difference between these functions.