SSMS Execution Plan Art Work Challenge

Question

My Principal DBA here has just set me a rather interesting challenge.

"Can you get it to draw a rude picutre ?" He was referring to the Execution plan pane in Sql Server Management Studio. I confessed my skills were not that good but offered to ask some REAL experts. So here I am asking "Are you able to write some code that generates an execution plan diagram that is a picture of something ?" I think it may be prudent to leave out the 'rude' part so we do not offend anyone.

Oh and incase you were wondering, we do have work to do here, honest!

Answer 1

0

I have seen drawings created with spatial data by Alex Whittles as SQLBits which was very interesting - http://www.purplefrogsystems.com/blog/2011/05/sql-server-art-using-spatial-data/

answered Jun 10 '11 at 02:27 AM

Fatherjack ♦♦
38.8k ● 55 ● 69 ● 104

I'll second that it was absolutely genius.

Jun 10 '11 at 02:37 AM Mrs_Fatherjack

@Fatherjack I think I may have found a new hobbie... that is absolutely brilliant.

Jun 10 '11 at 04:25 AM megamanblue

wouldnt be at all surprised if you could get quite a following :)

I remember Alex mentioned that the R2 data types will make better pictures as they support curves rather than straight lines so images will be move aesthetically pleasing. Because that matters in a database engine!!

Jun 10 '11 at 04:32 AM Fatherjack ♦♦

It doesn't matter but it is good fun!

Jun 10 '11 at 05:15 AM Mrs_Fatherjack

Surprised no one has posted a link to this one yet http://michaeljswart.com/2010/02/more-images-from-the-spatial-results-tab/

Jun 10 '11 at 05:47 AM Martin 1

(comments are locked)

Answer 2

How about a one sided christmas tree with sweary words in it? Just run the following, then when you are happy with the construction, uncomment the exec command:

DECLARE @tsql nvarchar(max)
DECLARE @swearyword nvarchar(255)

SET @swearyword = '@stupidhead'

-- make sure swearyword is correctly formed
IF LEFT(@swearyword,1)<>'@'
 SET @swearyword = '@'+@swearyword

-- build the string, forced loop join to shape the plan
SET @tsql = '
DECLARE '+@swearyword+' AS TABLE (col1 int)

SELECT  *
FROM    '+@swearyword+' T1
INNER LOOP JOIN '+@swearyword+' t2 ON T1.col1 = t2.col1
INNER LOOP JOIN '+@swearyword+' t3 ON t1.col1 = t3.col1
INNER LOOP JOIN '+@swearyword+' t4 ON t2.col1 = t3.col1'

PRINT @tsql
--EXEC (@tsql)

You will always be constricted in the shapes you can construct because the query plan is pretty much always going to be a tree shape.

SSMS Execution Plan Art Work Challenge

Follow this question

Related Questions