I have sort of an odd situation. I have a lot of distributed machines working on a simulation. They each start out with their own work, process it, and eventually put it into a SQL database ...

7 essential SQL skills that can help you command a higher paycheck Learn how to tackle big data.

SQL server will allow zero-length strings without issue, as long as your datatype supports it. Just assign the string value of ('') and you're done, no headaches.

Scott Stephens creates a package that allows you to clone most database objects with dynamic SQL.