Limits, Not Goals

I just saw one of "those" questions. You know the ones:

'We're hitting an error with a stored procedure. What is the maximum number of parameters you can have?"

Look, I get it. Breaking the land speed record is cool. Getting the most people into a phone booth (look it up), also cool. Fastest, biggest, most. All cool... depending on the circumstances.

However, for a lot of technology, limits are in place for a reason. We need to acknowledge this and treat them as limits, not goals. If you are pushing the edge, or exceeding, the number of parameters in a procedure, the number of columns in a table or index, any of the other standard limitations on our various technology stacks, it's time to step back. You need to reevaluate your decisions. Chances are extremely high, you're operating under some false assumptions or you've made some poor decisions. You are, in all likelihood, deep into technical debt and you're going to have to pay that off.

So, when you start to see that you're getting near these limitations, stop digging. Don't go online and moan about how having only 2,100 parameters is hurting you. You're hurting you. Also, be thankful you're working in SQL Server where the limit is 2,100. In PostgreSQL it's 100 (again, a limit, not a goal, please). The simple fact is, many, maybe even most, of these limits are in place for two reasons. First, programming for infinite choices is just hard, so people put limits in place. Second, performance and behavior degrades as more and more things get added, so limits are put in place to prevent that. These are just some of the hard facts of life in technology.

Pretty sure, we can all deal with that. Maybe?

Grant Fritchey

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The relational database industry has changed a lot in 25 years. Find out how these changes have impacted the role of a DBA, and the industry as a whole, with Redgate Advocate Kellyn Gorman.

With the launch of PASS Summit On Tour, as well as PASS Data Community Summit 2025, there are now even more opportunities to get involved. The Call for Program Committee Volunteers has opened today. These individuals will play a crucial role in shaping the content across all PASS Summit events and will complete the Abstract Review for all of the submitted speaking proposals. Program Committee Volunteers will also be given a complimentary 3-day ticket to PASS Summit or a PASS Summit On Tour conference ticket. Read our recent blog post for more information.

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Redgate Summit is coming back to London on March 11, and will be held at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur stadium. The event will feature a full day of learning, split across three tracks and will allow you to solve the complex challenges of database management. Register today and receive 50% off your ticket using code DBW50OFF4RGSL. To claim this ticket, please visit our event page and go through the process to purchase a ticket. You'll then be able to apply your discount code at the checkout stage. By using this complimentary code, you are accepting that this gift is in-line with your company’s anti-bribery and corruption policy.

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