Presentation to SQLBits 2018. For report writers that use PowerBI, T-SQL, Excel, SSRS, SSIS, and SSMS

1. 60 Reporting Tips in 60 Minutes
Ike Ellis
Partner
Crafting Bytes

2. SSMS: Query Shortcuts
• SELECT COUNT(*) FROM
• SELECT TOP 100 * FROM

3. SSMS: Don’t forget the splitter bar

4. SSMS: Comment Shortcut Key
CTRL-K, C
CTRL-K, U
--select * from sales.customers c
--join sales.orders o
--on c.custid = o.custid

5. Three Ways to Search Schema:
F7
Object Explorer Details select object_name(object_id), definition as name
from sys.all_sql_modules
where definition like '%cust%'

6. SSDT and SSMS: Search options
Spotlight

7. SSMS: USE DATABASE
• CTRL-U
• Type database
• Hit Enter

8. SSMS: Status bar on top

9. SSMS: Use the middle mouse button to close tabs
Close windows fast
Works in Chrome, SSDT, SSMS, Excel, Everywhere
z
z

10. SSMS: Color the status bar

11. SSMS: Drag Columns Over

12. SSMS: Performance Dashboard
• Added to Standard Reports

13. SSMS: Quickly alias columns

14. Excel: Four Directional Arrow for custom sort

15. Excel: Sorting is by level

16. Excel: Filter – Keep only selected items
And hide selected item.
Notice the total changes.

17. Excel: Member Search

18. EXCEL: FORMULA TEXT

19. EXCEL: F-9 key

20. EXCEL: Fun with AutoNumbering

21. EXCEL: Named Dataset

22. Excel: Defer Layout Update
SSAS – Prevent load and delay when using pivot
tables.

23. EXCEL: Fun with the aggregate toolbar

24. T-SQL: No reason to use ISNULL  CONCAT!
• Messy vs clean code
• No + symbol needed
• No ISNULL needed

25. T-SQL: Use windowing functions
Neat evolution

26. T-SQL: Testing and Refactoring with EXCEPT Keyword
;with FreightTotal
as
(
select custid, sum(freight) as totalFreight
from sales.orders
group by custid
)
select o.custid
, o.freight
, ft.totalFreight as totalFreight
from sales.orders o
join FreightTotal ft
on o.custid = ft.custid
EXCEPT
select custid
, freight
, sum(freight) over (partition by custid) as totalFreight

27. T-SQL: Life is so easy with a dates table
Find the sales numbers for the first Monday of
every month of the year
T-SQL with no dates table
T-SQL with dates table

28. T-SQL: Prettify!
http://extras.sqlservercentral.com/prettifier/prettifier.aspx
RedGate PlugIn for SQL Server Management Studio

29. TSQL: Or use SQLPrompt - RedGate

30. T-SQL: Execute scripts over multiple servers

31. T-SQL: Try_Cast
• Avoiding terrible casting errors

32. T-SQL: Never reinvent the wheel – SQL#
Take SQL# for example
Good Documentation
Easy Syntax
Cheap (and much of it is free)

33. T-SQL: Save scripts in a project for easy
navigation

34. T-SQL: Fight Dependencies - Alias, Obscure,
and De-couple
Views, Aliases

35. T-SQL: Check for heaps/clustered indexes
SELECT t.[Name] FROM sys.Indexes i
JOIN sys.Tables t
ON t.Object_ID = i.Object_id
WHERE i.type_desc = 'HEAP'
ORDER BY t.[Name]

36. T-SQL: Index all the keys
select object_name(c.object_id), c.name from
sys.columns c
where c.name like '%id'
and c.object_id not in
(
select object_id
from sys.index_columns
)

37. SSRS: Skip GIS, use MorgueFile

38. SSRS: Log, Log, Log (and beware of
subscriptions)
select c.Name
, e.InstanceName
, e.UserName
, e.Parameters
, e.TimeStart
, e.TimeEnd
, e.TimeDataRetrieval
, e.TimeProcessing
, e.TimeRendering
from executionlog e
join catalog c
on e.reportid = c.ItemID
Send a Link, or a file on a shared folder that you can audit. Find someway to audit
who opened the link or the file in the folder. Try to avoid sending the PDF without a
way to audit it.

39. SSRS: Store colors in the database
Colors = Business Logic
Put it in the database
Use Expressions to read the colors
Include action colors and levels

40. Colors from logo
• https://html-color-codes.info/colors-from-image/#

41. SSRS: Store Formats in the Database

42. SSRS: Get Buy-in to Export to Single Format
• Build to export to a single format
• Excel
• Word
• Web
• PDF
• Then get buy-in and make it a standard in the
organization

43. SSRS: Used Linked Reports to Manage
Security
• Allows you to use Role
assignments and
• Not have duplicate reports in
folders
• Not have users in folders they
shouldn’t be in
• Not manage security on
individual reports

44. SSRS: Use a report footer
• Put executive sponsor there & email address
• Date Executed
• Parameters Used
• Date Created
• Date Modified
• Put row count there

45. SSRS: Use a wiki for taxonomy
Record owner
Record changes
Record technical calculation

46. SSIS: The proper way to execute an SSIS
package

47. Power BI - Visualization: Bad Dashboard

48. Power BI - Visualization: Use color sparingly.
In nature, colors do two things:
1) Entice
2) Warn
So let’s use them sparingly..
WARNING: POISON FROG!

49. Power BI -Visualization: Stephen Few

50. Power BI - Visualization: Cynthia Brewer

51. Power BI: Tips for Visualization
• Make the most important information the biggest
• Put it in the upper-left corner

52. Ike wants good evals!

53. Power BI: Use bookmarks to clear filters

54. Power BI: Use bookmarks to create a portal
• https://www.blue-granite.com/blog/create-an-app-like-experience-
in-power-bi-with-bookmarks

55. Power BI: Text To Image Converter
• https://www.branah.com/text-to-image

56. Power BI: Use bookmarks for pagination
• https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Data-Stories-Gallery/Pagination-
in-Power-BI-Reports-utilizing-Bookmarking/td-p/325702

57. Power BI: Express Route

58. Power BI: Contests
https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/tag/contest/

59. Power BI: Look how easy R is to use!

60. Power BI: Let’s use R with Power BI

61. Wrapping Up: Keep Report Quantity Small
Too many reports means that there are more things to
keep consistent
Reports that aren’t used, tend to get forgotten, and then
used with bad data

62. Wrapping Up: Interview one person at a time
when gathering requirements

63. Wrapping Up: Find the key person
• They know a lot
• They have time
• They respond quickly
• They are most often right
• They might not be likeable,
and that’s OK
• Success – Work in their
office

64. Wrapping Up: Change one thing at a time
And break calculations down to their
simplest form, deploy, test, and change
one more thing.

65. Wrapping Up: Very few KPIs and numbers!
"The well-intentioned desire to be great at everything
is precisely what leads to exhausted mediocrity"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWKvSG_9s5I"
Walmart customer service

66. Wrapping Up: Use friendly names everywhere
Use spaces and long names

67. Wrapping Up: If you want ambient light, do
this

68. Wrapping Up: Have the child call you
Whenever someone comes around saying "Would you like to buy
blah blah blah, my kid is going to do whatever."
I tell them, "Yes, I would love to! But your child has to be the one to
ask me." I then give them my number and say the child can call
anytime after 6pm.

69. Wrapping Up: How to share passwords

70. Wrapping Up: MUTE BUTTON IN CHROME
chrome://flags/#enable-tab-audio-muting

71. LAST TIP! My YouTube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/user/IkeEllisData

72. Contact Me!
http://www.craftingbytes.com
http://blog.ikeellis.com
http://www.ikeellis.com
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/IkeEllisData
San Diego Tech Immersion Group
http://www.sdtig.com
Twitter: @ike_ellis
619.922.9801
ike@craftingbytes.com

73. Just like Jimi Hendrix …
We love to get feedback
Please complete the session feedback forms

74. SQLBits - It's all about the community...
Please visit Community Corner, we are trying this year to get more
people to learn about the SQL Community, equally if you would be
happy to visit the community corner we’d really appreciate it.