data access
SQL Server for C# and .NET Articles, Tutorials & News
SQL Server for C# and .NET articles, tutorials, and news from the DotNetNews archive.
193 articles Updated
SQL Server C# is the focus of this topic page. SQL Server for C# and .NET is part of the data-access layer most .NET apps rely on, whether the store is relational or document-oriented. Intermediate and senior .NET developers use this hub to scan practical writing without treating every link as an endorsement.
Recurring subtopics in recent issues include SQL Server C#, SQL Server .NET, T-SQL .NET, and EF Core SQL Server. Those themes are drawn from titles and excerpts in the newest archive entries for this tag, not from a marketing outline.
Expect publisher tutorials, release notes, architecture write-ups, and field notes linked from DotNetNews issues. Start here is a short editorial shortlist for SQL Server for C# and .NET; the archive list is chronological and larger. Secondary angles such as SQL Server C# and SQL Server .NET appear when the archive actually covered them. Nearby reading often overlaps with Entity Framework Core and Dapper for C# and .NET.
Start here
Editor picks for SQL Server
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T-SQL Hygiene: What's the Big Deal with SET NOCOUNT ON?
Microsoft Dev Blogs Issue #501
One of those database hygiene topics that seems minor until you understand the cumulative effect.
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Track every EF Core record change with temporal tables
Round The Code Issue #499
Temporal tables remain one of the most useful underused SQL Server features, and this walks through the EF Core side clearly.
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Building AI-Powered Database Query Optimization Tools with SQL Server and .NET
C# Corner Issue #493
An interesting blend of SQL Server performance work and AI-assisted tuning; promising if grounded in actual execution data.
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PostgreSQL vs SQL Server for Modern .NET Applications
C# Corner Issue #492
Compare PostgreSQL vs SQL Server for .NET apps.
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We Moved from SQL Server to PostgreSQL in a .NET
Medium Issue #483
Real migration writeups are always more useful than abstract comparisons, especially when they include cost and operational reasons.
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GUID v7 in SQL Server: Performance Benefits, Limitations, and Best Practices
Medium Issue #483
GUID v7 is getting attention for good reason, but the limitations matter as much as the upside.
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Give your Agent memory with SQL Server and Microsoft Agent Framework | Data Exposed
YouTube Issue #468
Interesting if you’re tracking agent memory patterns and want a relational option with SQL Server behind it.
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Introducing Apache Arrow Support in mssql-python
Microsoft Dev Blogs Issue #455
Not .NET-specific, but useful if you move SQL Server data into analytical pipelines and care about transfer efficiency.
Archive
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Newest first
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The Real Cost of Returning the Identity Value in EF Core
Medium - Anton Martyniuk Issue #555
When you insert thousands of rows into SQL Server with Entity Framework Core, performance drops quickly. Continue reading on CodeX »
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PostgreSQL to SQL Field Notes: Date & Time
Microsoft Dev Blogs - Jerry Nixon Issue #554
Welcome to SQL First, welcome to SQL! You're going to like this. Upgrading from PostgreSQL is real work, and depending on your old PostgreSQL, that process ca
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Agentic RAG and chat completion in the Microsoft SQL engine | Data Exposed
YouTube - Microsoft Developer Issue #550
Learn how you can use various capabilities within Microsoft SQL (SQL Server, Azure SQL, SQL DB in Fabric) to do things like chat completion, and integrate with Microsoft Foundry, Gateway, and Teams. ✅...
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EF Core vs Dapper vs ADO.NET: Stop Picking Sides, Start Picking the Right Tool
Medium - Santanu Chandra Issue #550
Three ways to talk to SQL Server from .NET, what each one really costs you, and how to choose without starting a religious war in your…
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E4: Optimize performance and scalability with Azure SQL Database Hyperscale
YouTube Issue #543
Bob and Anna demo Azure SQL Database Hyperscale’s unique architecture, including independent scaling for compute and storage to help manage changing application demands without disruptions. 0:00: Intr...
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Advocating for Uptime: The 6 Phases of Change
Microsoft Dev Blogs Issue #543
Schema change is inevitable. We do not get everything right the first time, and even when we do, the world around the database keeps changing. Requirements mature, products evolve, and assumptions tha...
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E3: Build AI apps with Azure SQL Database Hyperscale
YouTube Issue #543
Bob and Anna demo how to use vector embeddings and vector indexes in Azure SQL Database Hyperscale for more efficient semantic search and retrieval capabilities. 0:00: Introduction: AI in Azure SQL 0:...
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Tackle real database changes with SQL projects in VS Code | Data Exposed
YouTube Issue #543
In this Data Exposed episode, we go beyond SQL projects setup and into the day-to-day challenges of making deployable database changes in VS Code. See how IntelliSense catches errors quickly, how refa...
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Azure SQL Developer Container: Building Offline .NET Development Environments
C# Corner Issue #541
Learn how to use the Azure SQL Developer container to build local and offline .NET development environments with consistent database behavior for development and CI/CD.
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The End of Index Maintenance? | Data Exposed
YouTube Issue #540
Automatic index compaction (currently in public preview across Azure SQL DB, MI, and SQL database in Fabric) is a game changer for index maintenance. Learn how. ✅ Chapters: 0:00 intro 0:30 what's the ...
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Filtering EF Core by a Large List: The 2,100 Parameter Wall
codewithmukesh Issue #540
EF Core 10 changed how Contains sends a list to SQL Server. Here is the real parameter ceiling, what happens when you cross it, and benchmarks for every fix.
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SQL Decomposition in a Nutshell
Microsoft Dev Blogs Issue #538
Application developers already know what happens when one method does everything: it becomes difficult to read, test, reason over, and safely change. We use patterns like decomposition, encapsulation,...
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Microsoft.Data.SqlClient Retry Logic: Building Resilient .NET SQL Server Applications
C# Corner Issue #535
Learn how to use Microsoft.Data.SqlClient retry logic in .NET to handle transient SQL Server connection failures, improve application resilience, and build reliable database applications.
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Try the new SqlClient and Retry connections natively
Microsoft Dev Blogs Issue #534
The 2002 release of the original .NET Framework shipped ADO.NET and System.Data.SqlClient, the driver for SQL Server that gave .NET applications a standard connection approach. Over the years, updates...
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Beware of ValueGeneratedOnAdd when using EF
Josef Ottosson Issue #531
How a self-generated GUID had EF marking my brand-new claims as Modified instead of Added, and the one line of config that fixed it.
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Build Modern and AI-Ready Apps with SQL and GitHub Copilot in VS Code
YouTube Issue #530
Learn how to go from local development to cloud deployment with a fully functional, AI-ready application powered by SQL Server. In this session, you’ll see how GitHub Copilot in VS Code streamlines da...
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SQL and AI for Developers in Action
YouTube Issue #529
Come see the Microsoft team show you the latest innovations for SQL, ground to cloud to fabric, to help you build AI applications securely with your data. This will be a heavy demo-oriented session so...
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Build a .NET 10 Web API - Minimal APIs, EF Core & SQL Server
Round The Code Issue #527
Build a .NET 10 Web API with Minimal APIs, Entity Framework Core and SQL Server, using Clean Architecture and FluentValidation.
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Beyond Embeddings: Practical Vector Search with DiskANN in SQL Server
YouTube Issue #526
Vector support in SQL Server opens the door to modern semantic search scenarios—but embeddings alone are rarely enough. In this session, you’ll learn how to store, index, and query vector data in SQL ...
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Your best friend: BlockOnPossibleDataLoss=True
Microsoft Dev Blogs Issue #524
Let's start with an admission: developers all hate BlockOnPossibleDataLoss. It is the bane of a smooth development workflow, as significant schema changes can block deployment because of BlockOnPossib...
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How to Prevent and Handle SQL Deadlocks in .NET Applications
Medium Issue #522
Deadlocks are a common problem in applications that work with databases.
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SQL Server Vector Search: Benchmarking EF Core Workloads
C# Corner Issue #521
Benchmark SQL Server vector search with EF Core. Explore exact vs. approximate search, performance factors, and best practices for RAG.
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Database Performance in .NET
Medium Issue #521
In Part 1, I wrote about boundaries. In Part 2, I wrote about aggregates and invariants. In Part 3, I wrote about domain events. In Part 4…
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How to Resolve SQL Server Error 40 ("Could Not Open a Connection to SQL Server")
C# Corner Issue #519
Resolve SQL Server Error 40 in ASP.NET Core. Troubleshoot connection issues with Entity Framework Core, connection strings, and configuration.
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Common Mistakes in Manual SQL Database Recovery - Know What Not To Do
C# Corner Issue #516
Avoid common SQL database recovery mistakes. Learn best practices for manual recovery, when to use specialized tools, and prevent data loss.