 | SQL Server Unique Constraints
The fourteenth part of the SQL Server Programming Fundamentals tutorial discusses unique constraints. This type of constraint adds a rule to a table to ensure that no two rows contain duplicate information within the constrained columns. |
| Taking a SQL Server Database Off-Line
Sometimes you will want to remove all access to a database for a period of time without detaching the database or deleting it. One option to achieve this is to take the database off-line. You can do this using standard SQL Server tools or Transact-SQL. |
| SQL Server Computed Columns
The thirteenth part of the SQL Server Programming Fundamentals tutorial investigates computed columns. Values in these columns are calculated automatically by the database management system using an expression that is attached to the column definition. |
| Inserting Values into Identity Columns
Identity columns are used in SQL Server to automatically generate sequential integer values as new rows are inserted into a table. Under normal circumstances an explicit value cannot be specified. However, sometimes this is essential. |
| SQL Server Identity Columns
The twelfth part of the SQL Server Programming Fundamentals tutorial describes identity columns. By applying an identity specification to a numeric column, the column's value is defaulted to a new value for every row inserted into the table. |
| SQL Server Default Column Values
The eleventh part of the SQL Server Programming Fundamentals tutorial considers the use of default column values. These are literal values or functions that are used to provide default values for columns when new table rows are created. |
| Get the Current SQL Server Date and Time
There are many occasions when you will want to obtain the current date and time from a Microsoft SQL Server instance. Possibly the most common of these is when auditing the time of a database operation, using either the local or the UTC date and time. |
| Changing the SQL Server Database Owner
Sometimes you need to change the owner of a SQL Server database, perhaps as a database moves from a test environment into a production system. Using a stored procedure, the database owner can be changed, giving the new owner the permissions of the role. |
| SQL Server Primary Keys
The tenth part of the SQL Server Programming Fundamentals tutorial explains the use and creation of primary keys. A primary key is a column, or group of columns, within a database table that provides a unique reference for each row added to that table. |
| Modifying SQL Server Tables
The ninth part of the SQL Server Programming Fundamentals tutorial describes how database tables can be changed using T-SQL. In this article we will add, remove and modify columns, whilst considering the impact these operations can have on existing data. |