views:

54

answers:

3

I have found a fairly insignificant bug in SQL Server 2008.

I would like to report this to Microsoft, however, when I went to https://support.microsoft.com/ I realized that I may need to spend $300 CAD to report it.

Is there a place where I can report this bug without it costing me any money?


Below is a sample of the bug:

Works:

USE [msdb]  
(SELECT * FROM msdbms)

Fails with "Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'order'."

USE [msdb]  
(SELECT * FROM msdbms ORDER BY dbms)

Also, if I am incorrect and this isn't a bug can it be explained why not?

EDIT
I've added this to Microsoft Connect

+2  A: 

you can report bugs at the sql server connect site https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer

however, here are 2 workarounds because you really don't need the parenthesis

USE [msdb]  
SELECT * FROM msdbms ORDER BY dbms

USE [msdb]  
select * from 
(SELECT * FROM msdbms) x
ORDER BY dbms
SQLMenace
@SQLMenace, yeah, I've realized that which is why I think it's insignificant, but I'd like to report it because it doesn't work as I think it should.
Nathan Koop
@Nathan - Or bizarrely this also works `(SELECT * FROM msdbms) ORDER BY dbms`
Martin Smith
+1  A: 

Connect is the usual site.

Another parentheses related issue.

Martin Smith
A: 

The funnier or smellier bug/feature would be to get a wrongly sorted list by running the following:

USE [msdb]  
select * from (SELECT top 100 percent * FROM msdbms order by 1 desc) t

Because, apparently, by design, sorting with top 100 percent doesn't work. And the funny part is that you are allowed to specify order by even though you're not gaining anything by it.

It's more of a 'view' comment and it's not really a bug. But it's interesting to mention.

Denis Valeev
This is because `ORDER BY` has 2 different purposes in SQL Server. One is to order results for the client. The other is used in combination with the proprietary `TOP` keyword. To say `TOP` according to what.
Martin Smith
Yeah, I can see that, but while you're outputing the result of sorting and taking a part of it, why not output it in that particular order? Seems like defying the purpose and obscuring the concept. But, yeah, that's the way the cookie crumbles. :)
Denis Valeev