Microsoft® SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed

Chapter 43. Transact-SQL Programming Guidelines, Tips, and Tricks

IN THIS CHAPTER

• General T-SQL Coding Recommendations

• General T-SQL Performance Recommendations

• T-SQL Tips and Tricks

• In Case You Missed It: New T-SQL Features in SQL Server 2005

• The xml Data Type

• The max Specifier

• TOP Enhancements

• The OUTPUT Clause

• Common Table Expressions

• Ranking Functions

• PIVOT and UNPIVOT

• The APPLY Operator

• TRY...CATCH Logic for Error Handling

• The TABLESAMPLE Clause

One of the things you’ll discover with Transact-SQL (T-SQL) is that there are a number of different ways to write queries to get the same results, but some approaches are more efficient than others. This chapter provides some general guidelines and best practices for ...