Book Image

Learn T-SQL Querying - Second Edition

By : Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud
Book Image

Learn T-SQL Querying - Second Edition

By: Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud

Overview of this book

Data professionals seeking to excel in Transact-SQL (T-SQL) for Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database often lack comprehensive resources. This updated second edition of Learn T-SQL Querying focuses on indexing queries and crafting elegant T-SQL code, catering to all data professionals seeking mastery in modern SQL Server versions and Azure SQL Database. Starting with query processing fundamentals, this book lays a solid foundation for writing performant T-SQL queries. You’ll explore the mechanics of the Query Optimizer and Query Execution Plans, learning how to analyze execution plans for insights into current performance and scalability. Through dynamic management views (DMVs) and dynamic management functions (DMFs), you’ll build diagnostic queries. This book thoroughly covers indexing for T-SQL performance and provides insights into SQL Server’s built-in tools for expedited resolution of query performance and scalability issues. Further, hands-on examples will guide you through implementing features such as avoiding UDF pitfalls, understanding predicate SARGability, Query Store, and Query Tuning Assistant. By the end of this book, you‘ll have developed the ability to identify query performance bottlenecks, recognize anti-patterns, and skillfully avoid such pitfalls.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Query Processing Fundamentals
4
Part 2: Dos and Don’ts of T-SQL
9
Part 3: Assembling Our Query Troubleshooting Toolbox

Optimizing OR logic

A common query pattern involves the need to express several conditions of which at least one must be true to filter the result set, usually with OR logic. Expressing these OR conditions can have serious performance drawbacks and can often be replaced with other constructs that provide better scalability and performance.

The following example shows a query executed in the AdventureWorks sample database that uses an OR condition in the search predicate. The query lists all rows for a specific product, or where the price is set at a predetermined value:

SELECT ProductID, [UnitPrice], [UnitPriceDiscount],
      [UnitPrice] * (1 - [UnitPriceDiscount]) AS FinalUnitPrice,
      [UnitPriceDiscount] + 0.10 AS NewUnitPriceDiscount,
      [UnitPrice] * (1 - 0.30) AS NewFinalUnitPrice
FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail
WHERE ProductID = 770
     OR UnitPrice = 3399...