SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

Summary of Useful Features in SQL Server 2008

Technical Musings — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:32:11 GMT

SQL Server 2008 will be coming out sometime this summer (in theory). At last week's TechFuse event in Minneapolis, and in blogs I sometimes read, I've started to pick up on a number of useful features and improvements that should...

Summary of Useful Features in SQL Server 2008

new 维生素C.net() — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:14:08 GMT

SummaryofUsefulFeaturesinSQLServer2008SQLServer2008willbecomingoutsometimethissumm...

SQL Server 2008: New Features Research

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:54:06 GMT

Last weekend I’ve been researching and learning about the new features in SQL Server 2008 . I’ve

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

fd2000 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:31:46 GMT

It seems to be that SharePoint will not end with one list stored in one sql table in future versions ;-(

Sparse columns can possibly be used efficently to store the whole data in only a few tables (as now - but much better). And it will practically overcome the current limitation of a fixed number of data columns of given type (e.g. numbers) in SharePoint because of (as I know) there is no practical limit in amount of sparse columns - or?

Frank

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

TheDataDude — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:59:55 GMT

Is there any advantages/disadvantages using data compression over using sparse columns

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

Andrew_Fryer — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:28:47 GMT

DataDude

yes the way you can get back all the non empty values stored in a set of sparse columns in the column set, and you can use both techniques together to get even more space on your row.

Andrew

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

Vijaya Kadiyala — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:42:10 GMT

Does NULL occupy space in SQL Server?

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

Andrew_Fryer — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:16:52 GMT

Yes unless you have compression set on (enterprise edition only) or don't have sparse columns

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

Alex — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:11:56 GMT

Thanks for this post. One thing: "Not all data type can be sparse: text, ntext, image, timestamp, user-defined data type, geometry, or geography or varbinray (max) with the FILESTREAM attribute can be sparse."

I assume you mean "cannot" at the end. You contradict yourself and it might confuse people.

re: SQL Server 2008 Sparse Columns

Andrew_Fryer — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:40:23 GMT

Alex

Thanks changed the post accordingly