Microsoft SQL Server 2008 released - available for download now

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 released - available for download now
As predicted, Microsoft have finished off SQL Server 2008 and have made it available immediately for download from Technet, MSDN and also in the form of a 180-day trial for anyone.

Click here to download the trial

The free version o... (more in the full post)

Vodem stick is here!

[click to enlarge]

$199 on a 24 month term on Broadband Everyday (1GB) - seems slightly more expensive than what the Aussies need to pay for it (they pay AU$5 per month over the contract on a 1GB plan = around NZD$160)

(obtained from the August Vodafone catalogue)

Now you can get 3G broadband from Vodafone under the new 900MHz spectrum, which is still being installed throughout New Zealand, which brings more people under a 3G connection. It also supports 7.2mbps HSDPA off the bat.

This is going to go up on Vodafone's site soon - I hope.

How to Drop a Column

• Discover whether there is a constraint;

DECLARE @ConstraintName NVARCHAR(50);
SELECT @ConstraintName = [name]

FROM sys.objects o

WHERE o.[parent_object_id]=OBJECT_ID('Schema.TableName')

AND o.type='D'

AND o.[name] LIKE '%First5LettersOfColumnName%'

• If there is, remove it;

IF NOT (@ConstraintName IS NULL)

   EXECUTE ('ALTER TABLE Schema.TableName 
   DROP CONSTRAINT ' + @ConstraintName)
GO

• Remove the column

IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM sys.columns WHERE [name]='ColumnName 
   AND [object_id]=OBJECT_ID('Schema.TableName'))

      ALTER TABLE Schema.TableName

      DROP COLUMN ColumnName;

GO