https://justinjbird.com/blog/Recent content in Blog on Justin Bird: Data & Analytics Consultant based in South WalesHugoen-gbSun, 11 Jan 2026 17:32:14 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2026/installing-and-setting-up-ollama-on-macos/Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:32:14 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2026/installing-and-setting-up-ollama-on-macos/Setting up Ollama to run on MacOS is straightforward, but you may run issues, this guide walks through installing and setting up your first prompt.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2026/oh-my-posh-also-works-with-claude-cli/Thu, 08 Jan 2026 23:45:51 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2026/oh-my-posh-also-works-with-claude-cli/I use oh my posh to enhance all my command line prompts, and now it works with Claude CLI adding additional context to the status line.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2026/adding-an-ai-category-to-my-blog/Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:35:51 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2026/adding-an-ai-category-to-my-blog/I am adding an AI category to my blog this year as I find myself utilising AI tools to enhance my workflow.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/updating-my-blog-using-codex-wrapper-aitools/Thu, 06 Nov 2025 20:47:46 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/updating-my-blog-using-codex-wrapper-aitools/The amazing Chrissy Lemaire has been building more super useful tools and this time it's a powershell module that helps you batch process your code with popular AI CLI editors.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/reflections-on-evaluating-retro-data-call-for-speakers/Sat, 16 Aug 2025 10:26:09 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/reflections-on-evaluating-retro-data-call-for-speakers/We have just completed the evaluation process for Retro Datahttps://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/using-a-return-variable-from-a-child-pipeline/Sun, 20 Jul 2025 22:55:51 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/using-a-return-variable-from-a-child-pipeline/How to use return variables from a Fabric Data Factory child pipeline in a parent pipelinehttps://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/how-to-track-the-outcome-of-beta-microsoft-exam/Sun, 06 Jul 2025 09:05:14 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/how-to-track-the-outcome-of-beta-microsoft-exam/Beta exams are taken early and the communication on whether you passed your result is not always prompt. There is a way to find out through the Pearson VUE portal. This post describes how.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/running-python-code-on-the-iss-thanks-to-the-esa-and-the-raspberry-pi-foundation/Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/running-python-code-on-the-iss-thanks-to-the-esa-and-the-raspberry-pi-foundation/Recently I got to present my Code Club coders with certificates for completing the Astro Pi Mission Zero project. Back in March the kids created a program that would run on the International Space Station (ISS) using the Astro Pi kit.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/tsql-tuesday-184/Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:48:01 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/tsql-tuesday-184/This is my thirteenth contribution to TSQL Tuesday, the data community blog party. Have a read, and why not join in next time!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/dp-700/Mon, 03 Mar 2025 13:33:03 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/dp-700/Information on passing the Fabric Data Engineer Associate exam and earning the DP-700 certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/running-deepseek-locally-in-vscode-as-a-private-copilot/Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:33:19 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/running-deepseek-locally-in-vscode-as-a-private-copilot/I have been experimenting with deepseek in vscode as a private, local copilot, it's so easy to get going!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/an-introduction-to-scratch-programming-language/Sun, 23 Feb 2025 18:48:39 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/an-introduction-to-scratch-programming-language/An introduction to Scratch Programming Language, a visual programming language for students of all ages.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/dataweekender-v7/Sat, 01 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2025/dataweekender-v7/Our 7th event is almost here and I am hosting the SQL Server track in the best van in data! Read on to find out more about the amazing talks that are on my track.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/byte-sized-changing-default-terminal-in-vscode/Sun, 22 Dec 2024 18:24:27 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/byte-sized-changing-default-terminal-in-vscode/A byte sized vscode blog post that simply describes how to change the default terminal in vscode, allowing you to start in a different shell.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/adding-bluesky-links-and-logos-to-my-hugo-site/Sun, 17 Nov 2024 12:28:23 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/adding-bluesky-links-and-logos-to-my-hugo-site/Talks through the changes I needed to make in order to set up social links and a share to bluesky button on my site.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/simplified-way-to-install-sqlpackage-on-macos-using-dotnet-and-homebrew/Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:27:19 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/simplified-way-to-install-sqlpackage-on-macos-using-dotnet-and-homebrew/It has been a right pain installing Sqlpackage on macOS but it is really easy to do using the dotnet sdk and homebrewhttps://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/community-tracker-2024/Thu, 31 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/community-tracker-2024/A list of events and activities I have contributed to STEM and the community during the calendar year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/taking-over-the-running-of-a-code-club-via-stem/Mon, 07 Oct 2024 20:22:05 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/taking-over-the-running-of-a-code-club-via-stem/Learn how I became a STEM Ambassador and took over running a Cardiff Code Club, teaching Python and web development to an all-female class.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/decrypt-encrypted-pdfs-using-macos-automator/Fri, 23 Aug 2024 08:21:19 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/decrypt-encrypted-pdfs-using-macos-automator/This post describes how to set up an Automator Quick Action that will decrypt multiple PDF files via Finder on macOS.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/100-stem-ambassador-hours/Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/100-stem-ambassador-hours/I have received a STEM Ambassador award for contributing 100 hours of volunteering to the STEM Ambassador program.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/retrieving-fabric-tenant-settings-via-powershell/Fri, 02 Aug 2024 09:14:01 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/retrieving-fabric-tenant-settings-via-powershell/How to use standard Azure powershell cmdlets to retrieve the Fabric Tenant settings for evaluation.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/pipeline-task-to-view-pipeline-agent-file-system/Tue, 16 Jul 2024 08:12:56 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/pipeline-task-to-view-pipeline-agent-file-system/How to easily view the contents of your build agent file system and pick the right predefined variable.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/script-tasks-and-multi-line-scripting-in-azure-devops-pipelines/Sat, 13 Jul 2024 12:17:22 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/script-tasks-and-multi-line-scripting-in-azure-devops-pipelines/Using script tasks in Azure DevOps pipeline and how to control multi-line scripting in Azure DevOps pipelines.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/redgate-community-ambassador-2024/Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:50:22 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/redgate-community-ambassador-2024/I am pleased to announce that I have been welcomed into the Redgate Community Ambassador program for 2024https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/install-apache-spark-on-macos/Wed, 05 Jun 2024 13:08:56 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/install-apache-spark-on-macos/It is really easy to install Apache Spark on macOS and load in data in just a few minutes using Homebrew.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/floating-windows-in-vscode/Thu, 23 May 2024 15:40:59 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/floating-windows-in-vscode/I have discovered a new feature in vscode that allows you to float windows, you float editor and terminal windows.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/adding-checklists-to-your-peer-review-process-using-a-pull-request-template/Wed, 22 May 2024 14:56:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/adding-checklists-to-your-peer-review-process-using-a-pull-request-template/One useful tool to standardise your peer review process is to create a pull request template. This is really easy to achieve in both Azure DevOps and Github.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/hugo-live-reload-keeps-reloading/Sat, 18 May 2024 13:26:12 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/hugo-live-reload-keeps-reloading/I have run into an issue from time to time where Hugo's live reload feature keeps reloading the page. This is how I fixed it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/first-steps-with-mermaid-in-vscode/Fri, 17 May 2024 08:43:10 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/first-steps-with-mermaid-in-vscode/My blog theme supports mermaid. Mermaid is a visual diagram syntax, so I wanted to test it out in vscode.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/tsql-tuesday-174/Tue, 14 May 2024 12:12:07 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/tsql-tuesday-174/This is my 12th contribution to TSQL Tuesday, the data community blog party. Have a read, and why not join in next time!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/using-brewfile-to-share-homebrew-config/Tue, 14 May 2024 00:09:16 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/using-brewfile-to-share-homebrew-config/I have found Brewfile to be a useful tool for producing a dotfile, which allows me to share my Homebrew configuration between machines.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/connecting-azure-data-studio-to-postgres/Thu, 09 May 2024 17:06:09 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/connecting-azure-data-studio-to-postgres/You can connect to a Postgres database using Azure Data Studio with the help of the Postgres extension.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/creating-a-postgres-docker-container-and-connecting-dbt/Thu, 09 May 2024 09:32:23 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/creating-a-postgres-docker-container-and-connecting-dbt/This post talks through how to create a Postgres database in a Docker container and connect dbt to it for local development.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/setting-up-the-dbt-sql-server-adapter/Thu, 09 May 2024 09:32:23 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/setting-up-the-dbt-sql-server-adapter/This post explains how to get started with dbt and the SQL Server adapter. Also covers resolving some of the issues encountered on macOS.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/running-sql-server-on-macos-using-sqlcmd/Wed, 08 May 2024 17:11:20 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/running-sql-server-on-macos-using-sqlcmd/It is really easy to run SQL Server on macOS using the new SQLCMD CLI tool. This post explains how to set it up.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/how-to-search-for-a-lost-file-in-git-log/Sat, 27 Apr 2024 20:12:10 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/how-to-search-for-a-lost-file-in-git-log/I have lost a file in my Git repository. Here are a few options to seek it out by using git grep and git log.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/no-such-shell-function-zle-line-init-in-zsh/Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:47:35 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/no-such-shell-function-zle-line-init-in-zsh/Troubleshooting the error message "no such shell function 'zle line init'" in zsh when using OhMyPosh.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/az-305/Wed, 03 Apr 2024 21:51:08 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/az-305/Information on passing the AZ-305 exam and earning the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/addressing-line-feed-issues-in-git-between-macos-and-windows/Fri, 29 Mar 2024 16:43:42 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/addressing-line-feed-issues-in-git-between-macos-and-windows/Fixing line endings issues in projects when developers are contributing from Mac and Windows machines.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/helping-at-sqlbits/Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:39:46 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/helping-at-sqlbits/This is the fourth time I have helped at SQLBits. Here is an account of my time helping at SQLBits 2024.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-600/Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:07:13 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-600/Information on passing the DP-600 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/how-to-run-a-powershell-script-as-a-git-hook/Sat, 09 Mar 2024 09:57:48 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/how-to-run-a-powershell-script-as-a-git-hook/Ever wanted to run a powershell script as part of a Git Hook? Well you can! This post explains how you do it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/why-does-my-markdown-header-not-appear/Sun, 03 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/why-does-my-markdown-header-not-appear/Sometimes my markdown headers don't work and I have ignored it and fixed it manually for way too long. Why is this happening?https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/running-sql-server-on-macos-using-docker/Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:00:20 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/running-sql-server-on-macos-using-docker/It is really easy to run the SQL Server database engine natively on macOS silicon using Docker for local development.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/mct-2024/Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/mct-2024/I have recently been awarded the Microsoft Certified Trainer accreditation for 2024 permitting me to provide training towards Microsoft certifications.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/how-to-update-the-url-for-a-remote-git-repository/Sat, 24 Feb 2024 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/how-to-update-the-url-for-a-remote-git-repository/You need to update the URL for the remote repository. In this post I will explain to you how to do it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/authenticating-devops-pipelines-and-github-actions-with-azure/Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/authenticating-devops-pipelines-and-github-actions-with-azure/How to set up authentication between Github Actions and Azure to allow you to run DevOps tasks securely and efficiently.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/tsql-tuesday-171/Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:26:11 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/tsql-tuesday-171/This is my 11th contribution to TSQL Tuesday, the data community blog party. Have a read, and why not join in next time!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/getting-started-with-fabric-with-a-microsoft-365-developer-account/Fri, 09 Feb 2024 21:56:13 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/getting-started-with-fabric-with-a-microsoft-365-developer-account/If you do not have access to Microsoft Fabric development environment, you can use a Microsoft 365 Developer Account to spin up your own.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/helping-children-learn-to-code/Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:28:32 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/helping-children-learn-to-code/I help run a Code Club for marginalised young people, it's hands down the most rewarding thing I do!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/taking-a-break-in-proctored-exam/Fri, 26 Jan 2024 17:43:17 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/taking-a-break-in-proctored-exam/What happens if you want to take a break in a proctored exam? Well now you can! This is how it works.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-300/Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-300/Information on passing the DP-300 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure Database Administrator Associate certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-500/Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-500/Information on passing the DP-500 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Associate certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-600-implementing-analytics-solutions-using-microsoft-fabric-exam-announced/Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:04:32 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2024/dp-600-implementing-analytics-solutions-using-microsoft-fabric-exam-announced/The new Microsoft Fabric certification exam has been released, here is all the current information on the exam.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/community-tracker-2023/Sun, 31 Dec 2023 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/community-tracker-2023/A list of events and activities I have contributed to STEM and the community during the calendar year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/30-stem-ambassador-hours-in-2023/Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/30-stem-ambassador-hours-in-2023/I have received a STEM Ambassador award for contributing 30 hours of volunteering to the STEM Ambassador program.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/get-computer-name-using-powershell/Sun, 10 Dec 2023 15:27:35 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/get-computer-name-using-powershell/Getting the computer name using Powershell in a cross-platform way because I use a Mac and I like to be inclusive.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/dp-600-implementing-analytics-solutions-using-microsoft-fabric-exam-announced/Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:22:40 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/dp-600-implementing-analytics-solutions-using-microsoft-fabric-exam-announced/Microsoft have announced a new Fabric related exam, here is some of the early information on the exam.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/editing-recordings-for-dataweekender/Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/editing-recordings-for-dataweekender/Here is my experience working through the process of editing and publishing #DataWeekender teams recordings on a Mac.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/dataweekender-v6/Fri, 27 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/dataweekender-v6/I am hosting track 1 at #DataWeekender 6! Read on to find out more about the amazing talks that are on my track.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/how-to-test-mobile-version-of-hugo-website/Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:18:51 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/how-to-test-mobile-version-of-hugo-website/How to test the layout of your Hugo site on mobile before pushing it to the remote server without using developer tools.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/fixing-up-broken-giscus-discussion-links/Thu, 05 Oct 2023 18:33:53 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/fixing-up-broken-giscus-discussion-links/I changed the titles of some blog posts (don't do this!) and now my Giscus discussion links are broken. Here is how I fixed them.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/list-of-useful-git-commands/Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:04:35 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/list-of-useful-git-commands/Here is a collection of useful advanced git commands that I use from time to time. I always forget them so I thought I would write them down and share them.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/shortcodes-to-the-rescue-twitter-embedded-tweet-failure/Wed, 23 Aug 2023 15:30:10 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/shortcodes-to-the-rescue-twitter-embedded-tweet-failure/X (the site formerly known as Twitter) now blocks embedding tweets (xweets? exes?), now my Hugo build fails! Thanks to shortcodes this was easy to fix.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/setting-up-ohmyposh-on-mac/Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:11:10 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/setting-up-ohmyposh-on-mac/In this post I will explain how to configure ohmyposh on Mac in vscode, tabby and terminal for different shells.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/setting-up-404-redirect-for-hugo-using-azure-static-app/Sun, 30 Jul 2023 15:30:10 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/setting-up-404-redirect-for-hugo-using-azure-static-app/Azure Static Web App doesn't adhere to Hugo's 404 redirect which is not immediately apparent. This post explains how to fix it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/renaming-the-default-branch/Tue, 04 Jul 2023 09:12:53 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/renaming-the-default-branch/The post explains how to update the name of the default branch of an existing repository hosted on Github.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/running-sql-server-on-macos-using-azure-sql-edge/Fri, 30 Jun 2023 20:44:36 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/running-sql-server-on-macos-using-azure-sql-edge/How to run SQL Server database engine on macOS with ARM architecture using Azure SQL Edge and Docker.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/friend-of-redgate-2023/Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/friend-of-redgate-2023/I am pleased to announce that I have been welcomed back as a friend of Redgate for the 2023 program.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/tsql-tuesday-163/Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:26:34 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/tsql-tuesday-163/My experience with burnout and the best career advice: prioritise yourself. Tips on mental health, wellbeing, and recovery for data professionals.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/setting-up-an-rss-feed-for-microsoft-fabric-blog/Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:51:41 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/setting-up-an-rss-feed-for-microsoft-fabric-blog/The new Microsoft Fabric blog annoyingly does not have an RSS feed, so I wanted to find out if I could roll my own.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/how-to-create-a-git-alias/Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:06:20 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/how-to-create-a-git-alias/How to use git aliases to call regularly used, or hard to remember commands. This approach will save having to store more things in your brain!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/how-to-install-sqlpackage-for-macos/Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:03:55 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/how-to-install-sqlpackage-for-macos/How to install sqlpackage on macOS and resolve the security constraints that occur because Microsoft do not sign their packages properly.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/automator-convert-image-to-webp-quick-action/Wed, 24 May 2023 15:46:46 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/automator-convert-image-to-webp-quick-action/How to use macOS native automator app to automatically convert images directly from a finder quick action.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/adding-comments-to-a-hugo-site-using-giscus/Sun, 14 May 2023 16:07:35 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/adding-comments-to-a-hugo-site-using-giscus/How to add a comments and reactions to your Hugo site using Giscus, a comments system powered by GitHub discussions.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/static-web-app-already-has-maximum-number-of-staging-environments/Sun, 14 May 2023 12:31:04 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/static-web-app-already-has-maximum-number-of-staging-environments/How to resolve the build failure 'Static Web App Already Has Maximum Number of Staging Environments'.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/mct-2023/Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2023/mct-2023/I have recently been awarded the Microsoft Certified Trainer accreditation for 2023 permitting me to provide training towards Microsoft certifications.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/community-tracker-2022/Sat, 31 Dec 2022 23:59:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/community-tracker-2022/A list of events and activities I have contributed to STEM and the community during the calendar year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/az-400/Fri, 30 Dec 2022 23:59:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/az-400/Information on passing the AZ-400 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Devops Engineer Expert certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/dp-203/Sat, 26 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/dp-203/Information on passing the DP-203 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure Data Engineer Associate certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/how-to-set-up-twitter-developer-api-for-bluebirdps/Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:46:16 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/how-to-set-up-twitter-developer-api-for-bluebirdps/How to configure access to the Twitter API in order to make use of Twitter automation for Powershell.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/git-ignore-not-ignoring/Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:18:15 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/git-ignore-not-ignoring/Gitignore allows you to configure files you don't want to include in your commits, sometimes this doesn't function as expected, but why?https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/how-to-move-repository-from-devops-to-github/Sun, 17 Jul 2022 13:54:42 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/how-to-move-repository-from-devops-to-github/This post describes the steps you need to follow to migrate a git repository from Azure DevOps to Github.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/az-104/Mon, 27 Jun 2022 23:59:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/az-104/Information on passing the AZ-104 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/sc-900/Wed, 01 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/sc-900/Information on passing the SC-900 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Security Compliance Identity Fundamentals certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/dataweekender-v5/Sat, 07 May 2022 09:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/dataweekender-v5/I am hosting track 2 at #DataWeekender 5! Read on to find out more about the amazing talks that are on my track.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/tsql-tuesday-148/Tue, 08 Mar 2022 22:42:45 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/tsql-tuesday-148/Step-by-step guide to setting up a call for speakers using Sessionize's new user group mode for Data South Wales. Perfect for data community leaders.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/mct-2022/Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2022/mct-2022/I have recently been awarded the Microsoft Certified Trainer accreditation for 2022 permitting me to provide training towards Microsoft certifications.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/community-tracker-2021/Fri, 31 Dec 2021 23:59:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/community-tracker-2021/A list of events and activities I have contributed to STEM and the community during the calendar year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/azure-purview-partner-accelerator-workshop/Tue, 09 Nov 2021 10:30:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/azure-purview-partner-accelerator-workshop/Information on the Azure Purview Partner Accelerator Workshop I attended yesterday, this was a fun challenge.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/using-gitalk-with-your-hugo-site/Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:13:37 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/using-gitalk-with-your-hugo-site/How to configure Hugo and GitHub to use Gitalk commenting system, a modern comment component based on GitHub Issue and Preact.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/dataweekender-v4/Sat, 30 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/dataweekender-v4/I am hosting track 2 at #DataWeekender 4! Read on to find out more about the amazing talks that are on my track.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/data-weekender-organiser/Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/data-weekender-organiser/I am excited to announce that I have been asked to become one of the organisers of my favourite online conference, #DataWeekender!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/creating-gifs-using-powerpoint-or-keynote/Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/creating-gifs-using-powerpoint-or-keynote/I have been creating animated gifs for social media posts using Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple's Keynote, here is how I do it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/icloud-not-syncing/Thu, 03 Jun 2021 18:53:53 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/icloud-not-syncing/I have been having issues with iCloud syncing on my desktop, here is the summary of my findings and a few things you can try to fix it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/azure-data-studio-nu1101-unable-to-find/Thu, 03 Jun 2021 18:13:56 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/azure-data-studio-nu1101-unable-to-find/Error NU1101 raised whilst getting database projects to build using Azure Data Studio and steps to resolve it.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/dataweekender-v3/Fri, 14 May 2021 08:37:55 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/dataweekender-v3/I am hosting track 3 at #DataWeekender 3! Read on to find out more about the amazing talks that are on my track.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/sqlbits-replay/Thu, 13 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/sqlbits-replay/I have recently been exploring the new online platform that is being trialled by SQL Bits. It is very cool!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-138/Tue, 11 May 2021 11:49:12 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-138/A quick reflection on responding to technology changes and maintaining continuous learning, shared while celebrating a family birthday in West Wales.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-azure-static-webapps/Mon, 10 May 2021 11:50:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-azure-static-webapps/This is the fifth post in a series about the things I have learnt setting up my blog using Hugo, covering how to host your site using Azure Static Web Apps.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-shortcodes-and-archetypes/Wed, 05 May 2021 11:04:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-shortcodes-and-archetypes/Using shortcodes and archetypes to create repeatable content.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-front-matter/Tue, 04 May 2021 11:03:45 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-front-matter/How to use front matter to adjust my content.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-content-organisation/Sun, 02 May 2021 12:02:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-content-organisation/This is the second post in a series about the things I have learnt about setting up my blog using Hugo.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-hello-world/Sat, 01 May 2021 11:01:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo-hello-world/This is the first post in a series about the things I have learnt about setting up my blog using Hugo.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo/Sat, 01 May 2021 08:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/learning-to-hugo/Here is my write up after setting up Hugo and exploring it for the first time. I am really enjoying it!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/dp-900/Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/dp-900/Information on passing the DP-900 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure Data Fundamentals certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/az-900/Sat, 24 Apr 2021 14:51:29 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/az-900/Information on passing the AZ-900 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/using-bluetooth-device-from-macos-lock-screen/Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:17:18 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/using-bluetooth-device-from-macos-lock-screen/I have had issues using bluetooth devices from the lock screen from boot, I investigated why this happens, here is what I found.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-137/Tue, 13 Apr 2021 20:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-137/Getting started with Jupyter Notebooks in Azure Data Studio for SQL professionals. Learn practical uses for documentation, troubleshooting, and runbooks.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/redgate-product-research/Wed, 31 Mar 2021 09:13:33 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/redgate-product-research/My experiences from attending a product research session with Redgate recently looking at potential features planned for Data Catalog.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/ai-900/Tue, 23 Mar 2021 21:11:29 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/ai-900/Information on passing the AI-900 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Azure AI Fundamentals certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/pl-900/Tue, 16 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/pl-900/Information on passing the PL-900 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Power Platform Fundamentals certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/when-exam-registration-goes-wrong/Fri, 12 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/when-exam-registration-goes-wrong/My last exam was a bit stressful because things did not go to plan. A lesson in being at registration early.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/what-to-expect-from-an-online-proctored-exam/Thu, 11 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/what-to-expect-from-an-online-proctored-exam/A summary of my experiences having taken multiple online proctored Microsoft certification exams over the last year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-136/Tue, 09 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-136/SQL Server data type best practices: avoid common mistakes with VARCHAR, INT, and implicit conversions. Plus, discover the fun world of hexspeak magic numbers.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/pl-300/Sat, 06 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/pl-300/Information on passing the SC-900 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/friend-of-redgate-2021/Mon, 01 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/friend-of-redgate-2021/I am really pleased to announce I have been welcomed back to the Friends of Redgate program for 2021.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-135/Tue, 09 Feb 2021 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-135/Why a physical notebook remains my essential productivity tool as a data professional. Discover the simple features that digital apps cannot match.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-134/Tue, 12 Jan 2021 23:30:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2021/tsql-tuesday-134/From Naples to Venice: my Italian road trip with the family visiting Pompeii, Rome, and the Colosseum. Plus, dreaming of a future Welsh coastal adventure.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/community-tracker-2020/Thu, 31 Dec 2020 23:59:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/community-tracker-2020/A list of events and activities I have contributed to STEM and the community during the calendar year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/tsql-tuesday-133/Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/tsql-tuesday-133/My latest contribution to the data community blog party. Have a read, and why not join in next time!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/mobility-print/Sun, 15 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/mobility-print/I have just discovered an awesome app that has solved Airprint printing to my non-Airprint printers.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/time-machine-network-drive/Sun, 15 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/time-machine-network-drive/I have a server that runs Unraid for home media content, it is capable of hosting a Time Machine service to backup your Macs to a central location.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/tsql-tuesday-132/Tue, 10 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/tsql-tuesday-132/Personal wellbeing strategies during the pandemic: healthy eating, exercise routines, digital unplugging, and learning random skills like juggling.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/executing-powershell-script-from-gist/Sat, 07 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/executing-powershell-script-from-gist/Find out how to fire off a chocolatey build from Powershell using a remote gist allowing for easy automation.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/tsql-tuesday-131/Tue, 13 Oct 2020 07:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/tsql-tuesday-131/My first contribution to TSQL Tuesday, the data community blog party. Have a read, and why not join in next time!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/dataweekender-v2/Fri, 09 Oct 2020 07:00:35 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/dataweekender-v2/#DataWeekender the SQL is nearly here! Read on to find out more about the event and how you can sign up.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/so-long-facebook/Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/so-long-facebook/Facebook is a time sink and I have decided that it is something I no longer get any value from so it is time to say goodbye.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/sqlbits-2020/Mon, 28 Sep 2020 21:34:44 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/sqlbits-2020/SQL Bits 2020 is finally here! You have until 13:00 to get your ticket to the greatest show in data!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/mcse/Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/mcse/Information of passing the exam, and being awarded the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Data Management and Analytics certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/mcsa/Wed, 10 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/mcsa/Information on being awarded the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate: SQL 2016 Business Intelligence Development certification.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/not-the-year-you-were-looking-for/Mon, 01 Jun 2020 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/not-the-year-you-were-looking-for/The first half of this year has been a really really difficult time, reflections on a pretty crazy half year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/dataweekender-v1/Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:00:00 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/dataweekender-v1/#DataWeekender, the new online conference for the Microsoft Data Platform community. And it is all free!https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/friend-of-redgate-2020/Sat, 15 Feb 2020 21:34:44 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/friend-of-redgate-2020/I am super excited to announce that I have been invited onto the Friends of Redgate program for 2020.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/hello-world/Wed, 01 Jan 2020 16:01:35 +0100https://justinjbird.com/blog/2020/hello-world/This is the first post that I created on my new blog using Hugo. Yes it is a Helo Byd / Hello World post.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2019/community-tracker-2019/Tue, 31 Dec 2019 23:59:59 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2019/community-tracker-2019/A list of events and activities I have contributed to STEM and the community during the calendar year.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2019/redgate-sql-provision-first-look-part2/Wed, 02 Oct 2019 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2019/redgate-sql-provision-first-look-part2/I got some time with the Redgate folks at SQLBits and had a demo of SQL Provision, I was really impressed, this is part 2 of my review.https://justinjbird.com/blog/2019/redgate-sql-provision-first-look-part1/Tue, 01 Oct 2019 09:00:00 +0000https://justinjbird.com/blog/2019/redgate-sql-provision-first-look-part1/I got some time with the Redgate folks at SQLBits and had a demo of SQL Provision, I was really impressed, this is part 1 of my review.