How to get the database id

select dbid from master..sysdatabases where [name]='databasename'

Here's how to get some helpful server information:

SELECT Name='ServerName', Value=SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName')
union
SELECT 'MachineName', SERVERPROPERTY('MachineName')
union
SELECT 'Edition', SERVERPROPERTY('Edition')
union
SELECT 'Engine Edition', SERVERPROPERTY('Engine Edition')
union
SELECT 'InstanceName', SERVERPROPERTY('InstanceName')
union
SELECT 'IsIntegratedSecurityOnly', SERVERPROPERTY('IsIntegratedSecurityOnly')
union
SELECT 'IsSingleUser', SERVERPROPERTY('IsSingleUser')
union
SELECT 'LicenseType', SERVERPROPERTY('LicenseType')
union
SELECT 'NumLicenses', SERVERPROPERTY('NumLicenses')
union
SELECT 'ProcessID', SERVERPROPERTY('ProcessID')
union
SELECT 'ProductVersion', SERVERPROPERTY('ProductVersion')
union
SELECT 'ProductLevel', SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel')

Now I'm an MCP

I passed 70-315 yesterday; it was easier than I expected.
What I didn't expect was that I'd actually learn a few things from the test. For example:

1. The DataGrid class (control) has a read-only property named Columns of type DataGridColumnCollection.
   
   The DataGridColumnCollection type is a collection of objects derived from DataGridColumn (such as BoundColumn).
   
   DataGridColumn has a read-only property named ItemStyle of type TableItemStyle.
   
   The TableItemStyle class has a property named CssClass.
   
   So, setting datagrid.columns[0].ItemStyle.CssClass = "myClass" can be done in the page-in-front as:
   
   <asp:DataGrid runat="server" id="datagrid">
   <Columns>
   <asp:BoundColumn DataField="name">
   <ItemStyle CssClass="myClass" />
   </asp:BoundColumn>
   </Columns>
   </asp:DataGrid>
   
   or
   
   <asp:DataGrid runat="server" id="datagrid">
   <Columns>
   <asp:BoundColumn DataField="name" ItemStyle-CssClass="myClass"/>
   </Columns>
   </asp:DataGrid>
   
   
2. Using the RequiredFieldValidator's InitialValue is useful when you want the user to select any item except the first in a drop down list.