Script to invoke the current user's screen saver

Script to invoke the current user's screen saver

What a funny script. I cannot imagine a situation where this would be handy - unless you envoke it on a remote machine; that might be fun.

Turning a SQL Table to a tSQL Insert statement

This is a simple routine I use to convert a SQL Table into a tSQL Insert statement. The script could easily be converted into a Stored Procedure if you needed it. The routine implicitely converts all numerics as string back to their original datatype; there is also the limitation of files 1000 characters or less (can be modified) and blobs - there's no accounting for those here.

The need for something like this comes up a lot; so here it is.

declare @Table varchar(255); Set @Table = 'tb_users'
declare @Catalog varchar(255); Set @Catalog = 'pubs'

declare @sql1 varchar(4000)
declare @sql2 varchar(4000)

DECLARE c_cols CURSOR
KEYSET
FOR  select
  column_name
 from
  INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
 where
  table_name = @Table
  and table_catalog = @Catalog
DECLARE @col_name varchar(40)
OPEN c_cols
FETCH NEXT FROM c_cols INTO @col_name
WHILE (@@fetch_status <> -1)
BEGIN
 IF (@@fetch_status <> -2)
 BEGIN
  if (@sql1 is null) set @sql1 = ''
  if (@sql2 is null) set @sql2 = ''
  set @sql1 = @sql1 + '' + @col_name + ','
  set @sql2 = @sql2 +
   ' isnull('''''''' + convert(varchar(1000), ' +
   @col_name + ') + '''''''', ''null'') + '','' +'
 END
 FETCH NEXT FROM c_cols INTO @col_name
END
CLOSE c_cols
DEALLOCATE c_cols

-- handle no columns

if (@sql1 is null)
begin
 raiserror('Table %s does not exist in Catalog %s.',
  16, 1, @Table, @Catalog)
 return
end

set @sql1 = substring(@sql1, 1, len(@sql1) - 1) + ''
set @sql2 = substring(@sql2, 1, len(@sql2) - 10) +
 ''') as InsertStatement'

declare @sql varchar(8000)
set @sql = 'select ''insert into [' +
 @Table + '] (' + @sql1 + ') values ('' + ' +
 @sql2 + ' from [' + @Table + ']'

print @sql
execute(@sql)

GO

IE7 annouced today!

Internet Explorer version 7, from the IE Team's blog

At last. The next version of Internet Explorer is on the way. Beta due in summer as (in part) a response to lost market share to FireFox and the delays surrounding Longhorn. This annoucement (by Bill Gates at RSA on Feb 15) officially seperates Internet Exporer from the Operating System.

Official Microsoft Press Release

Recent Microsoft Presentations

Three weeks ago Integro/Microsoft held a seminar with about 35 participants - driven mostly by Integro sales - where I presented on Reporting Services (part of the Microsoft SQL Server stack). The main idea of the presentation was to list the necessary items you need to have a successful implementation.

The audience asked me so many questions, it became quite clear how strong the momentum for this new SQL function has become. Primarlily, the drive is because licensing for alternatives is so expensive. The reality is, RS is pretty well stocked with features and with the Microsoft brand, people are willing to dabble with an early version with the promise of improvements.

The Denver Microsoft office tries to arrange a minimum number of events like this with local partners and gives them a type of "credit" they spend to qualify for their positition as a partner. To our benefit, we get to work with Carl Dubler, the dry-witted SQL Server champion who in earlier years inspired me to dig so deeply into the SQL stack.

Get this, Carl's follow-up email said something (and I quote from memory here), "Jerry Nixon is the number one advocate for Reporting Services in the region." How about that? It didn't actually say I knew what I was doing - but I will have to take what I can get.

Today, the local BI quasi-user group called Analytic Avenues, mostly a marketing engine for local Microsoft partner Immedient, had me as a "guest speaker" to basically repeat the content of the earlier Reporting Service presentations. I would guess 20 people were there representing a completely different segment.

The venue for this didn't allow for much dialog with the audience and what questions they did ask were not very illuminating. It's frustrating that SQL 2000 RS has certain features and when they lack people say SQL 2005 has the answer. Even if it does, a new version of SQL Server is not trivial - a 2005 implementation will include new administrative knowledge, probably updates to backup software and unknown hardware minimums.

I don't know, it's true we can address some issues with the next version, but I like to meet people where they are - as much as I can.

I have not made any major appearances since DevDays 2004. I will unlikely present at DevDays this year (very unlikely) since - for one - it is a vehicle Microsoft uses to pat individuals on the back who MSFT likes by giving them exposure; not all deserving individuals are good presenters though.

SQL Server 2005 Delayed Again, RTM Reset For Summer

Business Intelligence Pipeline | News | SQL Server 2005 Delayed Again, RTM Reset For Summer

It's hard to be any more sad about this than I am. There's a part of me that is terrified of the many changes in SQL 05 - similar to my, in hindsight unjustified, fears of .NET when it was first touted as a revolution and not the evolution it really was. There's also a part of me excited for SQL 05 to fix the many things I have learned to cope with in SQL 2k.

There is a part of me that is afraid for Microsoft; they have to have SQL 05 it be a very strong DB player - 2k is very successful and even one major glithch could tarnish it for a good year or more and from my job's perspective - as a MSFT partner - that can really impact cutomer tech decisions.

If you read here, they say "before SQL Server 2005 can ship, Visual Studio 2005 and .NET "Whidbey" would have to have shipped" which makes sense - but here it says that Visual Studio 2005 is delayed to September or so - around PDC time.

If you are as excited about VIsual Studio 2005 as I am, you will be very please to read this article the Visual Studo Roadmap this article nicely lays out.

Update: a contact just told me that SQL 2005 released in 2006 is very likely.

Microsoft Case Study: Quris

Microsoft Customer Evidence: Quris

Look at me; I am in print! So many things I do are internal and secret - it's a nice change to see my name in lights. A long time coming, but I am finally famous.