How to replace NULL with Empty String in SQL Server? ISNULL() vs COALESCE() Examples

We often need to replace NULL values with empty String or blank in SQL e.g. while concatenating String. In SQL Server, when you concatenate a NULL String with another non-null String the result is NULL, which means you lose the information you already have. To prevent this, you can replace NULL with empty String while concatenating. There are two ways to replace NULL with blank values in SQL Server, function ISNULL(), and COALESCE(). Both functions replace the value you provide when the argument is NULL like ISNULL(column, '') will return empty String if the column value is NULL.

Effective Java, 3rd Edition - Covers JDK 7, 8, and 9 - Must Read Book for Java Programmers

Hello guys, I have an interesting news to share with you today. After a long wait of almost 10 years, the Effective Java 3rd edition is finally coming this year, hopefully, December 2017. The Effective Java 2nd Edition was released in May 2008 and updated for Java SE 6, but it been, good 10 years now and there is a lot of interest from Java developers around the world for Effective Java 3rd edition after Java SE 8 release and I am very happy to inform you guys that, finally, all our wishes are granted and Effective Java 3rd edition is set to arrive this year. It will not only cover Java 9 release but also all the changes from Java 7 and Java 8.

SQL Server JDBC Error: The TCP/IP connection to the host Failed

I had installed SQL SERVER 2014 Express edition and I was trying to connect to SQL SERVER from Java program using JDBC, but I was repeatedly getting the following error:

com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerException: The TCP/IP connection to the host localhost, port 1433 has failed. Error: "connect timed out. Verify the connection properties. Make sure that an instance of SQL Server is running on the host and accepting TCP/IP connections at the port. Make sure that TCP connections to the port are not blocked by a firewall.".Error while closing connection !!null

Right way to Close InputStream and OutputStream in Java

For some unknown reasons many Java programmers are not very comfortable with IO package. I don't know why, but I have found them much more comfortable with java.lang and java.util than java.io. One possible reason of this could be that, writing IO code require a bit of C++ like programming, which involves doing clean-up, releasing resources once done etc. Since Java made coding a lot easier by taking care of memory management, unknowingly it also introduced bad practice of not releasing resource after use e.g. database connections, socket connection, files, directory, printers, scanners or any other scarce resource.

20 Questions You can ask to Interviewer in Programming Job Interviews?

From the first round to HR round, from telephonic to face-to-face, in almost all kind of programming interviews, there will be a time when Interviewer will give you a chance to ask questions. Many programmers are too concern about asking questions, and they politely decline ; Well it's your chance to learn about the Job you are going to do, and you shouldn't let this opportunity goes away. The interviewer, also judges you by your questions; a good, thoughtful, positive question can create the great impression on Interviewer's mind. It also shows that  the interest of a candidate for a Job.