Notes from a TSQL trench

Database stuff,
with a side of memes.

Long-form notes on TSQL performance, Extended Events, Query Store and the tooling around them. Written from the trenches, not the slide deck.

56 posts 4 series 107+ memes
Why my way of writing SQL is superior

Why my way of writing SQL is superior

Semicolons, leading commas, single-letter aliases. Here is the SQL style everyone loves to argue about, and the practical reasons I refuse to budge.

Opinion 5 min read Productivity
Query Hash and Query Plan Hash Mapping

Query Hash and Query Plan Hash Mapping

Ever struggled to match the binary hash from DMVs and Query Store against the numeric one in Extended Events? Let's fix that for good.

How to 9 min read Query Store · Extended Events
KEEP PLAN Demystified

KEEP PLAN Demystified

Ever wondered what the KEEP PLAN hint actually does? The docs are vague, so I tested it against every recompilation threshold to find out.

Deep Dive 16 min read Extended Events · Performance
Extended Events Timezones

Extended Events Timezones

Open an XE event file in SSMS and the timestamps stare back at you. Local time or server time? I spun up a container in another timezone to find out.

Investigation 3 min read Extended Events · Docker
The SQLBits 2022, or There and Back Again

The SQLBits 2022, or There and Back Again

My first in-person conference, my first time speaking, and a costume that needed a face mask. A SQLBits 2022 recap told in Lord of the Rings quotes.

Non-technical 7 min read sqlbits · Personal
SQL Wordle Series - Part One: Cheating

SQL Wordle Series - Part One: Cheating

Your Twitter feed is probably already full of Wordle posts, so why not one more? Let's start the series the lazy way: by cheating.

How to 4 min read Wordle