T-SQL Learning Guide
Transact-SQL (T-SQL) is Microsoft's enhanced version of the Structured Query Language (SQL) that includes transaction control, exception handling, error handling, row processing and more. SQL Server applications must be using T-SQL statements to communicate with the server, but how your T-SQL is written and run can ultimately impact your server performance. This learning guide offers you an introduction to all things T-SQL, from basic definitions to handy stored procedures to best and worst practices.

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Ask the SQL Server Expert to pose a question to development guru Greg Low. If you have your own handy stored procedures and T-SQL tricks, e-mail us and we'll post them on SearchSQLServer.com for all your peers to see.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
   T-SQL 101
   T-SQL stored procedures
   T-SQL best and worst practices
   T-SQL in SQL Server 2005
   T-SQL debugging
   T-SQL querying

  T-SQL 101 Return to Table of Contents

  • T-SQL definition
  • SQL vs. T-SQL
  • CLR vs. T-SQL stored procedures
  • T-SQL 101 Learning Center

    •   Handy T-SQL stored procedures Return to Table of Contents

  • Top five T-SQL stored procedures
  • Fast Guide: Undocumented stored procedures
  • Fast Guide: Stored procedures
  • Stored procedure: Generate code for ad-hoc data operations
  • Stored procedure: Easily filter for SQL Server connections
  • Stored procedure: Determine last database backup
  • Function to determine which service pack is installed
  • A surrogate key architecture to perform powerful database operations
  • All SearchSQLServer.com T-SQL stored procedures

      T-SQL best and worst practices Return to Table of Contents

  • T-SQL batch processing rules for SQL Server
  • How to restore SQL Server using T-SQL
  • Exception handling best practices in SQL Server 2005
  • How to optimize triggers in SQL Server 2000
  • Pitfalls of using T-SQL cursors
  • T-SQL performance problems and solutions
  • Vulnerable stored procedures
  • Working with Oracle stored procedures, applications and data

    •   T-SQL in SQL Server 2005 Return to Table of Contents

  • What's new with T-SQL in SQL Server 2005
  • Writing stored procedures without knowing T-SQL
  • Backward compatibility issues when upgrading to SQL Server 2005
  • Upgrading stored procedures in SQL Server 2005
  • Tuning stored procedures: Structured exception handling in SQL Server 2005
  • SQL Server 2005 DMVs: Exposing the state of your server

    •   T-SQL debugging Return to Table of Contents

  • How to debug T-SQL stored procedures
  • Sample debugging stored procedure
  • Where to start debugging the stored procedure
  • How to run the debugging stored procedure
  • Visual Studio debug windows
  • Alternatives for T-SQL debugging

    •   T-SQL querying Return to Table of Contents

  • Find and fix resource-intensive SQL Server queries
  • Query Analyzer: 10 tricks for simple querying
  • Run a T-SQL query to loop through all databases
  • Microsoft T-SQL performance tuning
  • Resolving a query error
  • Tracking query execution with SQL Server 2005 Profiler


    • Do you have your own handy stored procedures and T-SQL tricks? E-mail us your T-SQL tips and we'll post them on SearchSQLServer.com for all your peers to see. You'll also be entered into a drawing for a SQL Server book of your choice.

    This was first published in July 2006