Bytes and Bites of Internet
TSQL
RAISERROR with TRY … CATCH block
Sep 9th
RAISERROR is one of the most efficient method to raise user created exception based on various situations. And TRY CATCH block is perhaps the most known method for exception handling in any programing language. But it is a bit tricky to use both of them together due to manner in which they transfer control to next command.
Following the examples show typical behavior in different cases.
TRY CATCH with Error Severity <= 10. As you know error severity <= 10 are actually informational messages and they don’t raise any error.
[sql]
begin try
select ‘from Try block 1’
raiserror(‘Error is Raised’ ,10 — Severity <= 10 ,1 ,N’number’ ,5) with log
select ‘from Try block 2’
end try
begin catch
select ‘from catch block’
end catch
[/sql]
Importing Fixed Position file into SQL Server
Sep 3rd
For any DBMS system (I know that it sounds redundant) data can come into variety of forms and formats .. say CSV, XML, another DBMS, tab limited file or fixed position file or any proprietary format (as long as you have data providers for them 
). And most of connected DBMS systems have different approaches to import those kind of formats into database. One of that format is fixed position files, in many cases these finds of files gets generated by applications that uses flat file databases to store data.
In SQL Server there are three main ways to import these fixed position files into database. Using Bulk Insert tsql command, using BCP utility or using SSIS. In today’s post I will be showing way to import file using BULK INSERT. May be later on if I am feeling graceful, I will write about SSIS and BCP methods as well . Ok, so for purposes of test, I have created a fixed position file using SSIS. If you don’t know how it is done is SSIS see this previous post for HOW TO create fixed width file in SSIS.