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[Focus]

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Meet the Innovators!
The right mix of technical skill, creativity, and common sense produced three winning solutions in the 2005 SQL Server Magazine Innovators Awards. Read about them here.
 — Dawn Cyr , et al.

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[Features]

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Creating UDFs in SQL Server 2005
Take advantage of SQL Server 2005's new ability to use classes written in .NET languages.
 — Thiru Thangarathinam


Reporting Services and Multivalued Parameters
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services makes it easy to use multivalued parameters in embedded queries, but using these parameters in stored procedures requires a little more effort.
 — Rodney Landrum


SQL Server on a SAN
Get a handle on SAN fundamentals and learn more about how SANs can boost SQL Server database performance and improve database backups and restores.
 — Mel Shum

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[Lab Reports]

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Red Gate Software SQL Data Compare 3.4
This companion product to SQL Compare can synchronize the data in two databases and simplify database development.
 — Michael Otey

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[Editorial]

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LINQ—The Missing Piece of Database Development
Microsoft's new Language Integrated Query technology lets programmers use new query extensions to the .NET Framework to access database and XML data sources.
 — Michael Otey

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[Reader to Reader]

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Handy CLR Functions That You Can Call from T-SQL Code
Here are 17 string-manipulation functions written in Visual Basic, Visual C#, and Visual C++ that you can call from T-SQL code.
 — Readers

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[Inside SQL Server]

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Get REORGANIZEd
SQL Server 2005 gives new options for cleaning up clutter.
 — Kalen Delaney

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[T-SQL Black Belt]

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Analyzing Patterns in a Sequence
Recursive common table expressions (CTEs) in SQL Server 2005 let you analyze patterns in a sequence much faster than using cursors or set-based techniques. Learn about recursive CTEs by analyzing patterns in our DNA sequencing example.
 — Itzik Ben-Gan

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[New Products]

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New Products, January 2006
Check out new and improved SQL Server–related products.
 — Dawn Cyr

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[Preparing for SQL Server 2005]

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Just a Spoonful of Sugar...
Many of SQL Server’s new features aren’t automatic, but require some effort on your part to work. Here are some that deliver great benefits with only the smallest effort.
 — Matt Nunn

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[From the Casebook of B.I. Powers, Consulting Detective ...]

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The Case of the Out-of-Date Cube
B.I. Powers turns up an OLAP cube that's dragging a company into the past. Is SQL Server 2005 behind the latency? Can Powers find a simple solution?
 — Brian Larson

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[Vendor Briefs]

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Vendor Briefs, January 2006
Our editors share insights from their conversations with Idera, Stratus Technologies, Identify, and Revivio
 — Editors