Toptal

The first part of this series discussed the differences between Oracle Database and Microsoft SQL Server in their implementation of transactions, with a focus on pitfalls one may encounter during Oracle to SQL Server migrations and vice-versa. This next installment will cover a number of commonly used SQL syntax elements that have no match or have a completely different meaning or usage across the Oracle–SQL Server divide.

Sequences in Oracle and Identity Columns in SQL Server

There’s a long-standing divide in the database community between two camps: the patriots of natural keys and the proponents of artificial (or “surrogate”) keys.

I myself defend natural keys but often find myself creating surrogates for one reason or another. But leaving the substance of this debate aside, let’s look at the standard mechanisms for generating artificial keys: Oracle sequences and SQL Server identity columns.

An Oracle sequence is a first-class database-level object. In

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