Grouping multiline SQL data using XML

A friend of mine recently asked for help with a bit of SQL he was working on. True, he was in a far away land lording it up and I could have ignored him on general principles but the way I look at it is this… If he’s out there and in work he’s not over here making a nuisance of himself (Only joking George). So I decided to help, selfless creature that I am!

For full blog click here.

Written by:  Conrad Rowlands, Developer Solutions

For further information, visit www.developer-solutions.co.uk.

Improve Readability using ROW_NUMBER()

What did I ever do without the TSQL Row_Number() functionality. I do remember way back in days of yore (when I had youth, less weight and even less sleep) wishing that with straight SQL I could achieve a row count within my data. I seem to remember we cobbled something together but it was less than satisfactory. Code it seems is always about compromise…

Click here for full blog.

Written by Conrad Rowlands, Developer Solutions

For further information, visit www.developer-solutions.co.uk.

How to keep your SSIS package ‘DRY’

So, you all know the deal… When it comes to coding there is one rule that all half decent programmers aspire to; Nope, it’s not ‘Never toss a dwarf’ which whilst being reasonably good advice is probably not quite relevant to normal weekly challenges at the coal face of code. It is this, Keep your code DRY

Click here for full blog.

Written by Conrad Rowlands, Developer Solutions

Visit www.developer-solutions.co.uk for further information.

Bring Out 'Yer' Dead!

For any Python fans out there you’ll be well aware of the ‘Bring out yer Dead’ scene from the Holy Grail film and this particular blog draws heavily on that sketch for its inspiration. For anyone not familiar with the genius that is Monty Python the scene shows London in around 1665, the populace gripped in the full throes of bubonic plague. Eric Idle is pushing a death cart through the streets yelling ‘Bring out yer dead’. A few residents dump their less fortunate relatives onto the pile of now deceased bodies before John Cleese tries to offload his very much alive grandfather for the full ninepence. Despite the remonstrations from the clearly far from dead old man they eventually come to an agreement, knocking the old man unconscious into the bargain. Nobody expects corpses to have so much to say.

Click here for full blog.

Written by Conrad Rowlands, Developer Solutions