TSQL Challenges for Beginners

First Editorial - T-SQL Challenges Beginners

  I would like to welcome all of you to very first editorial for T-SQL Challenges for Beginners. T-SQL Challenges began with the aim to help community to come out of regular mind set of just reading articles online. There is plenty of reading material available online, but there are very few that can make us use our brain cells.

T-SQL Challenges are very well received in community, and today, we are receiving more than 200 responses for every challenge in a very short time. The real challenge is how to keep everybody involved. T-SQL Challenges is focused and encourage experts to bring out the best from them. T-SQL challenges for Beginners share the same enthusiasm from everyone.

Of course, this challenge can be attempted by everyone and just not beginners. However, just like we say “There is a child in everyone,” – in the exactly same way, I would like to say that “There is a beginner in everyone.” We may be expert in certain areas, but quite often we face a barrier to attempt something new and different. I believe that T-SQL Challenges can initiate the Beginners to break that very barrier. Note that the term beginner is used in a broader sense.

Here, Beginners refer to the new innovators. A problem can be easily resolved by writing simple T-SQL; however, what is most important is that an innovative thought can resolve an age old issue. T-SQL has many dimensions, and each dimension is equally important. These dimensions are creativity, performance, data modeling techniques, readability and many more. A solution, which can be simply solved by cursor, can be re-written using a set-based solution; this will lead to the scoring of some points in the area of performance and best practices.

I want to promise one more thing here that just like T-SQL Challenges, this challenge series for beginners will be focused on building a community, which helps each other. This is an open community, and everyone is welcome to stay as long as they wish. From my experience, I know that this is addictive, but I would let you decide the same.

What can you do to help this community effort?

· Participate in challenge and solve them.

· Read the solutions from others and learn new tricks.

· Spread the word for the challenges.

· Participate by submitting new challenges.

· Last but not least, send your feedback.

One more very interesting point is that if you win the challenge and if you present a very innovative solution, you will receive a special certificate from T-SQL challenge founder Jacob Sebastian and myself. On my side, I promise to feature the same as an article on my blog SQLAuthority.com.

Let me see what you have got? Over to very first challenge now...

Pinal Dave

TSQL Challenges for Beginners – The team – Interview with Tejas Shah

TSQL Challenges for Beginners is about to roll out and we are very happy to introduce the team of volunteers that run this interesting program. The team consists of a number of SQL Server experts and enthusiasts from all over the world, having experience in diverse domains and who understands the pulses of real life TSQL problems.

One of the key persons in this project is Tejas Shah, a SQL Server expert from Ahmedabad. Tejas is a winner of TSQL Challenges, an active SQL Server blogger and a contributor at MSDN SQL Server forums.

Tejas Shah

Jacob: Tejas, could you give a short description of yourself?

Tejas: I am working with Excellence Infonet as a Team Leader and have 5+ years of experience in Microsoft Technologies like .Net(1.1, 2.0, 3.5), SQL SERVER 2000/2005/2008. I have designed many web based application from small to enterprise scale using .Net, SQL, AJAX, XSLT and also worked on SharePoint development using WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007, share point designer 2007. Check www.SQLYoga.com frequently for tips, tricks, commentary and ideas on SQL Server.

Jacob: Why did you decide to be part of 'TSQL Challenges for Beginners'

Tejas: TSQL Challenge is a very good community project for an endless journey of SQL Programming.
I like to contribute to the TSQL Challenge to get experience of lots of human beings who are sharing their ideas towards challenges and giving their maximum efforts. This is the reason why I decide to be part of this TSQL Community.

Jacob: Who, according to you will be benefited by 'TSQL Challenges for Beginners'?

Tejas: This will be beneficial to all who want to learn or develop their skills in SQL SERVER. It’s not only for SQL SERVER beginners but experienced developers & readers also can get benefits by trying to solve these challenges because there are lots of small queries / doubts which when we face, then only comes in our thoughts.

Jacob: Your message to the SQL Server developers around the world

Tejas: As per the name suggests it's not only for beginners, other SQL Server developers can also solve these TSQL challenges and recall their knowledge.
Let's share the knowledge by solving the TSQL challenges and be part of "TSQL challenges for Beginners".