Author: drweb

SQL

ANSI PADDING is an often-overlooked yet impactful setting in SQL Server that determines how trailing spaces are handled in CHAR and VARCHAR columns. By default, ANSI_PADDING is ON, and it plays a significant role in data storage and consistency. In this post, we’ll explore what ANSI_PADDING does, why it matters, and how it affects your database.Why Does ANSI_PADDING Matter?Storage EfficiencyTurning ANSI_PADDING OFF for fixed-length columns can save storage space when trailing spaces are unnecessary.Data ConsistencyKeeping ANSI_PADDING ON ensures predictable storage behavior across different databases.Application RequirementsFor VARCHAR columns, turning ANSI_PADDING OFF prevents unwanted spaces, which might be critical for some applications.Best…

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SQL

If you’ve ever run a SQL query that looks simple but takes longer than expected, one likely culprit is the Key Lookup. This often-overlooked operation can quietly slow things down—especially when you’re dealing with large datasets and high-frequency queries. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a Key Lookup is, how to spot it, and most importantly, how to eliminate it using a covering index. We’ll walk through a real-world demo and use actual execution plans to visualize the performance gain.What’s a Key Lookup?A Key Lookup occurs when SQL Server uses a nonclustered index to find rows that match a…

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I am running a Spring sale on all my currently published Python books. You can get 25% off any of my complete books by using this code at checkout: MSON4QP   Learn Python Today! I have books on the following topics: Basic Python Intermediate Python Python and PDFs Python and Excel Image Processing with Python Python Logging JupyterLab and Jupyter Notebook Creating GUIs with wxPython and more! Start learning some Python today!

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SQL

Microsoft Fabric is transforming real-time analytics for financial institutions. It provides a unified data platform. This platform integrates various data sources into a single, cohesive system. This integration breaks down data silos. It enhances decision-making and customer insights. Fabric’s real-time intelligence capabilities allow financial institutions to extract insights from data as it flows. This enables immediate decision-making. It supports critical functions like fraud detection, risk management, and market trend analysis.With AI embedded throughout the Fabric stack, routine tasks are automated. Valuable insights are generated quickly. This boosts productivity and keeps organizations ahead of industry trends. Additionally, Fabric ensures data quality,…

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SQL

If you’ve ever run a SQL query that looks simple but takes longer than expected, one likely culprit is the Key Lookup. This often-overlooked operation can quietly slow things down—especially when you’re dealing with large datasets and high-frequency queries. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a Key Lookup is, how to spot it, and most importantly, how to eliminate it using a covering index. We’ll walk through a real-world demo and use actual execution plans to visualize the performance gain.What’s a Key Lookup?A Key Lookup occurs when SQL Server uses a nonclustered index to find rows that match a…

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env0 this week added at the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2025 conference an artificial intelligence (AI) agent to its platform for automating the management of infrastructure-as-code (IaC) workflows using open source Terraform tools.Company VP of marketing, Chris Graham, said Cloud Analyst via a natural language interface enables DevOps teams to surface insights into performance issues and other inefficiencies that are adversely impacting deployments by harmonizing diverse data from IT environments. It can, for example, identify metrics such as the number of drifts detected over the past month, quarter, or year and via a dashboard, track deployment times and actual success…

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SQL

Permission Levels in Microsoft Fabric In Microsoft Fabric, permissions can be assigned at two levels: workspace and Lakehouse. Each level controls access to different components, such as the Lakehouse itself, SQL Endpoint, or the Semantic Model. This blog post will walk you through both levels and explain how to manage access effectively—step by step. Workspace Level Permissions Workspace Level PermissionsLakehouse Level Permissions Lakehouse Level PermissionsIf a user doesn’t have specific permissions assigned to either the workspace or the Lakehouse, they won’t be able to see the workspace at all. Additionally, the Lakehouse will not appear in the OneLake Catalog. Additional Permissions and Their…

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As Linux users, we often rely on our go-to commands ls, grep, awk, sed, and find – to get things done. But Linux has a treasure trove of lesser-known commands that can save time, automate tasks, and simplify workflows. In this article, we’ll explore a collection of underrated yet powerful Linux commands that deserve more attention. 1. rename – Bulk Rename Files Efficiently The rename command is a lifesaver when you need to rename multiple files at once. Instead of using loops with mv, rename allows you to apply complex renaming patterns with ease. Change all .txt files to .log.…

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As developers, we often stick to our favorite built-in Python functions and sometimes even write custom solutions for problems that already have efficient built-in solutions. However, Python’s standard library is filled with hidden gems that can simplify our code and improve performance. In this article, we’ll explore some lesser-known but incredibly useful Python functions that deserve more attention. 1. bisect – Efficient Sorted List Operations The bisect module helps in maintaining sorted lists and finding insertion points efficiently, which is especially useful when you need quick lookups or dynamic sorted sequences. Example: Grade Tracking System Let’s implement a system that…

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I’ve written about the Angular CDK before and how to create custom themes using the Angular Material Theme Generator.With Angular Material v19, custom styling has become much more manageable.If you navigate to the documentation of any component, you’ll notice a new tab called “styling”, as shown here for the button component:What’s nice about that new approach is that it’s based on mixin overrides for different types of components. That’s great if your goal is to change something for all instances of a given component without changing the styles of other parts of the application by accident, since it’s not CSS…

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