🧩 Computed Columns are more versatile than they appear Centralise repeated logic, persist costly calculations, or index expressions for faster searching 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/08/04/r...
Retrofitting Schemas with Computed Columns
Computed columns allow us to bake logic into our schema. I find particular use for these when reviewing or optimising established solutions where you spot the quirky ways the data is being used. He…
andybrownsword.co.uk
🧱 A canonical data model can simplify integrations Getting the organisation to agree on the model is the harder part 👇 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/07/28/c...
Canonical Data Models Are a People Problem
Fragmented data estates usually share a trait – there’s no consistent representation of core business entities. It’s a common thread I’ve seen – system-centric entitie…
andybrownsword.co.uk
White, pink, red, purple, (dramatic pause)... brown(ish) 🤏🏻 Ah, the evolution of a British holiday tan 🇬🇧
⏱️ Waiting for Power BI refreshes? A simple Power Query parameter can dramatically reduce the amount of data you load during development 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/07/21/d...
Develop Faster in Power BI by Filtering Your Data
When developing Power BI models, we don’t always want to refresh the entire dataset before we start working with the data. We can speed up the refresh – and therefore our deve…
andybrownsword.co.uk
🔍 Schema drift can hide in both your structure and data SSDT can help you compare environments consistently, identify differences that matter, and make those checks reusable 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/07/14/u...
Using SSDT to Detect Schema and Data Drift
Schema drift is an inevitable part of environments where database changes are applied manually. Sometimes it’s dev-ing in production, other times it’s lax change control. Either way you…
andybrownsword.co.uk
🎓 Azure Data Fundamentals in the bag (more challenging than I expected!)
🎉 Here for the milestone edition of T-SQL Tuesday #200 🎉 “When I’m looking at a query, I bet it’s bad if I see ____" 🙄 Comma joins #tsql2sday 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/07/07/t...
T-SQL Tuesday #200 – It’s Bad If I See…
For the bicentennial edition of T-SQL Tuesday, Brent has thrown down the topic of “When I’m looking at a query, I bet it’s bad if I see ____.”. I’m expecting the Brits out in forc…
andybrownsword.co.uk
I've been using the "left, right, left" method for years. Works every time 🚶🏼♂️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How to walk 30 minutes a day - your tips
From walking the dog before breakfast to getting off the bus a stop early, readers share their tips for building a daily walking habit.
bbc.co.uk
💡 Query Folding turns Power Query transformations into SQL, handing the performance reins back to database developers Here's how it works and why it matters 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/06/30/q...
Query Folding in Power BI: Leveraging SQL Server Performance
As a database developer, when I started using Power BI, I was concerned about it retrieving reams of data only to perform transformations downstream. The Power Query editor misleads us into thinkin…
andybrownsword.co.uk
🖐🏼 SQL Server limits INSERT ... VALUES to 1000 rows You don't need to split your script into batches though - a small tweak is all it takes 👇 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/06/23/a...
A Quick Solution for ‘INSERT statement exceeds the maximum allowed number of 1000 row values’
If you’re building a large INSERT statement using VALUES, you might find yourself hitting the limit of 1000 rows, for example: INSERT INTO #Numbers (Number, InWords) VALUES (1,…
andybrownsword.co.uk
SSMS 22.7 finally introduces T-SQL formatting 🧹 No more extensions needed, simply Ctrl + K, Ctrl + Q, and you're away 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/06/16/f...
Formatting T-SQL in SSMS: It’s About Time
Dealing with endless formats for SQL scripts is a special type of pain you get to enjoy as a data developer. With the arrival of SSMS v22.7 last week, we have a solution in the form of a T-SQL form…
andybrownsword.co.uk
💭 This month's #tsql2sday considering the move back to on-prem. Should we sacrifice capability for control? andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/06/09/t...
T-SQL Tuesday #199 – Back to the Future IV: On-Premises
This month the invitation from Koen asks what would happen if we came back from the cloud. Back to On-Prem. Cloud solutions have sliders which magically reduce downtime, performance issues, and acc…
andybrownsword.co.uk
Long week. Busy weekend. It's 11pm. Jobs are done. I've got pizza 🍕 Time to catch up on the Xbox showcase and see what the teams have been cooking for its 25th anniversary 🎮
💡 KQL isn't SQL. But it isn't as different as people think either. Here's a first look from a SQL Developer's perspective 👇 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/06/02/k...
KQL: A SQL Developer’s First Look
Someone drops a KQL query in your lap and says “you know SQL right?”. Honestly, it’s different enough to trip you up, but similar enough that you’ll pick it up quickly. In t…
andybrownsword.co.uk
Most useful AI use-cases aren't replacing people. They're removing friction: 🌼 Plant care 🔨 DIY 🍛 Meal ideas 💡 Faster thinking A few thoughts on the practical side of AI 👇 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/05/26/e...
Everyone Should be Using AI
“AI will take our jobs” scares folks away. This past weekend I took a photo of a plant that’s in a bad way, and asked ChatGPT for support. I got a full rundown of positioning, car…
andybrownsword.co.uk
⚠️ Cross database queries confusing your Database Projects? ✅ Project, DACPAC, and Package References solve the problem Here's how 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/05/19/s...
Solving Cross Database References in Database Projects
Large data solutions can span multiple databases. I’ve recently shared how amazing Database Projects can be but objects which reference across database boundaries can throw up warnings. Is th…
andybrownsword.co.uk
The rare and special feeling of dropping into a new Horizon game 🇯🇵 Currently showing potential to surpass my personal favourite in FH4 🇬🇧. Fun, gorgeous, and polished. Cracking time. It's a good weekend to game 🎮
"Added the column data type to the tooltip when hovering over a column in the results grid" Without length, scale, or precision, you're just teasing me 😏 learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ssms/r...
Release Notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
Updates, improvements, and bug fixes for the current version of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
learn.microsoft.com
💬 This month's #tsql2sday looking at Change Detection Figuring out the right time and approach to detection can save a lot of unnecessary work 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/05/12/t...
T-SQL Tuesday #198 – Change Detection
Being a Data Engineer, this month’s invitation from Meagan resonates. She’s asked us to share a tip, technique, or lesson about detecting changes – which can be crucial to reduce …
andybrownsword.co.uk
Most database projects focus on schema deployment. The real magic? SQLCMD variables 🪄 One project, environment-specific configuration, and reusable publish profiles 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/05/05/s...
Smarter Database Project Deployments with SQLCMD Variables
A regular Database Project deployment is static and delivers consistent results regardless of environment. When it comes to schema, that’s usually desired, but data is a different s…
andybrownsword.co.uk
Database Projects have landed in SSMS 🚀 …but they’re not complete (yet) Here's what you need to know 👇 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/04/28/d...
Database Projects in SSMS Aren’t Quite There (Yet)
Last month in SSMS v22.4, we had the Database DevOps (preview) workload introduced which brings with it Database Projects. Last week I shared my favourite features for them which make deployments a…
andybrownsword.co.uk
Only in Britain 🇬🇧 "A ban to address a long-running issue of pony-and-trap racing on roads" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Pony and traps to be banned on two Buckinghamshire roads
Buckinghamshire Council says it is a
bbc.co.uk
Still writing deployment scripts by hand? 🤔 💡 There's a better option (and it's been around for years...) Database Projects 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/04/21/d...
Database Projects are Amazing for Deployments
If you’ve been using Database Projects for simply maintaining copies of your database objects – like I used to – then you’ve been missing out on the power of its deployments…
andybrownsword.co.uk
Failover groups replicate data... ...but logins are your issue 😬 Here's how to keep them in sync 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/04/14/s...
Syncing Logins Across Managed Instance Failover Groups
Failover Groups for Managed Instances are a great option to replicate data, but they don’t replicate key instance elements – one of which is logins that live in the master database. If …
andybrownsword.co.uk
TOP (1) returning multiple rows? ✅ Cleaner syntax ⚠️ Worse plan 👇🏼 You'll be paying the syn-tax 💰 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/04/07/w...
Why TOP (1) Can Return Multiple Rows (and Why That Matters)
Having TOP (1) return multiple rows feels wrong… but that’s what WITH TIES can do. For a long time I used patterns like this to get the first record in a group: WITH…
andybrownsword.co.uk
🤔 Do you actually know what's running on your SQL Server? Most environments are busier than they look. A quick dive into msdb surfaces the full picture - especially before a migration 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/03/31/q...
Querying msdb: A Pre-Migration Audit for SQL Agent Jobs
Most SQL Server environments have more jobs, schedules, and hidden complexities than you realise. It’s only when you arrive at a migration and peek under the hood that the scale is clear. Her…
andybrownsword.co.uk
🤔 Can you search a billion row table efficiently without an index? 👇🏼 Yep - and it can be faster than using one 🔥 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/03/24/b...
Blazing Fast (and Accurate) Searches Without an Index
Last week I demonstrated a fast binary search approach to quickly slice through large unindexed tables. I love the approach, but it fell short in two key areas – drop-in usage, and proper bou…
andybrownsword.co.uk
⚡ Faster than a scan 👀 Faster than an index (+ lookups) 🤯 No schema changes needed Binary search over correlated data massively reduces the work needed to query large tables 👇🏼 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/03/17/b...
Blazing Fast Searches Without an Index
I know, clickbait right? Hear me out. Searching vast log or audit tables without indexes is painful. Narrowing down a specific time range often means scanning millions or billions of rows. But that…
andybrownsword.co.uk
Adaptive Cards provide a richer and more interactive experience for your notifications in Teams 👇🏻 andybrownsword.co.uk/2026/03/10/e...
Elevating Teams Notifications using Adaptive Cards
Last week we looked at utilising Teams to make notifications more collaborative. This week I want to show how we can add more visual and interactive elements by adopting Adaptive Cards. What are Ad…
andybrownsword.co.uk
