Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Step by Step (Step by Step (Microsoft))
Is a Step by Step book and is really oriented to people with a very basic knowledge of SQL. What I liked most is that match at most SQL 2008 R2 options, when with a SQL 2005 book was impossible to follow the logics of the software as there has been an evolution in the software itself.

Moreover, you have many exercices and even an ebook inside the CDroom.

Excellent book for a beginner DBA in SQL Server 2008
This is an excellent book for a beginner DBA in SQL Server 2008. CD included.

Good start with, but if you have already started -- worthless
Simple style, not much on anything really, but as usual for the Step-by-step series it walk you through the whole lot.
I got this book together with some others and don't think will even open it again.
I have not actually read it, as you imagine, just skipped through and realised that it's a bit late for me to read it.
The book it only suitable to someone who wants to start learning MS SQL straight from 2008 and has almost no prior knowledge of relational databases, or came from MS ACCESS space.

good book for starters
good book for starters. would have been great if there are more examples to practice with.

Scripts don't work but otherwise ....
I'm only on page 93 and already there are 2 scripts that don't work. Because I'm new to SQL this is a major setback because I have to now try to find a resource to help me resolve the problems until I can move forward. I have checked the errata but no mention of these broken scripts.

The author does a great job of making complex topics easy to understand and the book is organized well. The content seems to be most of what any beginning SQL admin would need to know.

I recommend the book but aware you will have trouble with the scripts.
... Read more

Product Description
SQL--Structured Query Language--is the language all relational databases use to make enquiries. This essential book teaches SQL programming in the shortest possible time. It covers both the ANSI standard as the minimum requirement, and also discusses different implementations. It also serves as a handy reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Still the best
Ok, it's 10 years since this book was written and it is still the one I use as my SQL reference.

One note - I'm a programmer, not a DBA. So my SQL needs are pretty simple. But if you want a basic reference that covers all of the basics clearly - this is the book.

A Good Start
Probably not the best book ever written for SQL, let alone for beginners.

However, it is the one I used to learn SQL. It covers the basics in a fairly concise manner, enough so to be able to move on to a more advanced book. I read it cover-to-cover, and didn't agonize over the side-tracking or standards discussions. What I wanted was the details on the syntax of the language and an understanding of what the statements do, and that is what was provided along with some basic examples. By the end of the book, I was able to use SQL at a novice level.

I'm not sure I'd use this book to teach a class on beginning SQL, but as a quick and dirty read to get a first taste of the language, it fits. P-)

Very Disappointed -- Not for Beginners
I had to buy this book for an online class I'm taking.The teacher probably wanted it because of the [very old] software [on floppys] to use with the class.The book itself is basically on the border of terrible for someone like me who is new to SQL (even though I am a senior CS student).Uses a lots of terminology that he doesn't explain.Not very good examples.Cannot skip between chapters without confusion.Overall, this is the worst computer book that I have purchased.I'm looking for a new one to supliment my learning for the class.

frustration and disappointment
The book starts with installation notes telling reader that instead of using password such and such and id such, as it is described in the software's help, you rathre have to use password "sql" and password "dba".I tried to enter "sql" and "dba" into the password-asking dialog box, and it did not work. Then I realized that it is password "sql" and USERID "dba", and not only it is a misprint, they are listed in a reverse order: first you enter "dba", and second - "sql".That's on the very first page.The page 5 states, that supplied version of Watcom SQL engine will not allow to execute commands CREATE, ALTER, DROP, GRANT or REVOKE.That makes impossible to practice anything you read up to the chapter 5.However, in chapter 6 on p. 162 author offers you to execute commandALTER TABLE, and if you already forgot about page 5, that's a lot of frustration.At this time it helps to return to page 8: "The code in this book has been extensively tested ... so if you encounter an error message ... please thoroughly check that you've typed the code in correctly ...if you don't type in all of the examples, then you may encounter problems later with certain structures or features which haven't been created".

Beginners Beware
Database design and SQL are difficult subjects but a book for beginners should make every effort to accomodate the beginner by simplifying it asmuch as possible. And, to a degree, this book does that. But there are toomany forays into outer space. Consider this passage from page 122: 'You cansummarize the rule as follows: if X and Y are columns and X is a key, thenfor any Z which is a proper subset of X, it can't be the case that Zdetermines Y.' No matter how elegant, I don't think anyone would argue thatthis is helpful for a beginner. On the contrary, it tends to make thesubject seem as difficult as possible. Hardly a proper goal for abeginner's book. I am about half-way through this book and, increasingly, Iam going to MSDN for a clearer explanation to each of the subjects thatCelko addresses. ... Read more

Product Description
Most SQL texts attempt to serve as an encyclopedic reference on SQL syntax -- an approach that is counterproductive, since this information is readily available in online references published by the major database vendors. For SQL beginners, it's more important for a book to focus on general concepts and offer clear explanations and examples of what the various statements can accomplish. This is that beginner book. A number of features make The LANGUAGE OF SQL unique among introductory SQL books. First, you will not be required to download software or sit with a computer as you read the text. The intent of this book is to provide examples of SQL usage that can be understood simply by reading them. Second, topics are organized in an intuitive and logical sequence. SQL keywords are introduced one at a time, allowing you to build on your prior understanding as you encounter new words and concepts. Finally, this book covers the syntax of three widely used databases: Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle, with special "Database Differences" boxes that will show you any differences in the syntax among those three databases, as well as instructions on how to obtain and install free versions of the databases. This is the only book you'll need to gain a working knowledge of SQL and relational databases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great intro to SQL
As a SQL novice, I found this book very helpful and easy to read. Everything was understandable and clear. The author did a nice job of explaining how each new topic relates to what you already know. It was nicely organized and very well written. It's the kind of book you can read to get the concepts, and then keep around as a reference. I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in learning SQL.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Superior multi-author textbook
Most multi-author technical texts suffer from repetition, problems with consistent naming, or even areas of frank disagreement.This book is superbly edited, and one hears the different voices of the authors, but there is a careful coordination of content.I used the book, in combination with the lead author's "fundamentals" book, to gain a rapid introduction to the field.The discussion of set theory and predicate logic is superior, and the authors' do a superior job of gently leading you down the introductory road to the product.I liked the fact that they consistently draw a distinction between extensions of standards SQL and T-SQL.

Too "in-depth". Not easy to read but packaged with good TSQL info. Not for the newbie.
I just went yesterday to a famous bookstore here in town to check this one before order it online and left a bit disappointed, with no desire at all to buy it. Don't get me wrong, Itzik is an awesome writer, a genius on his field, but I do not share the previous 5 start opinions and I will explain why.

I do not consider myself an TSQL expert but got some SQL DBA years on my belt and a MCTS cert too. Having said that and after almost finish reading Microsoft SQL Server 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals (PRO-Developer), same author, I found this one very difficult to follow, flooded with tons of theory and math that for a TSQL book is in my opinion too much. Yes, SQL language has strong logic and math background but that is not what DBAs or developers are looking on a technical book and this is not a college book either; people are looking for practical books which can be quickly be applied on daily job activities.

Chapter #2 for example is full of logic and math stuff that I honestly skipped immediately. Nice as bonus information but not "straight to the point" T-SQL stuff. You can easily take that chapter out and keep the book lighter in my honest opinion. Same for Chapter#3, more logic and math stuff, related to T-SQL, yes, but no the real stuff.

Chapter 1, 7 and 10 are taken of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals (PRO-Developer), which by the way, is an outstanding book. Those chapters are about SELECT, JOINS and DML, information that like I said, can be found on the Fundamentals book but in an easy to read style, even with exercises so you can evaluate your own skills.

Chapter #4 is probably the more interesting chapter of the whole book, is about query performance. I must accept Itzik dominates the material but introduces so many complex query concepts and statements that you will get lost in no time. He even mentions he wasn't so sure about where to put this chapter, end of beginning, because the way he's using complex DMVs. But I believe you still can explain query performance without being so technical. This chapter is just full of complex query techniques that make even more complex the explanation of performance tuning strategies. I prefer SQL Server 2008 Query Performance Tuning Distilled by Grant Fritchey; a book just dedicated for that topic but delightful and easy to follow, without being a "dummy book".

In order to be fair and make justice though, the book is really full of theory about logical query processing, set theory and algorithms, foundations of what SQL language is. If you have a really strong background of TSQL query (I mean, really strong TSQL skills), math and the enough time to digest and understand that, this book is for you.

But to me, this book can be out of your book shelve and be easily replaced by this combo instead: SQL Server 2008 Query Performance Tuning Distilled+Microsoft SQL Server 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals (same author) Both will teach the same in a better and easy to follow approach, skipping all the logic, math and boring sql language foundationwhich to me, are unnecessary on this kind of books especially if you are not in college anymore, but working as a full time DBA.

Very well done
I'm new to T-SQL, but not new to database programming.I found this to be an excellent reference for the advanced programmer.The examples are well thought out and well organized.He often gives several different examples of how to solve a problem along with the pros and cons of each solution.

What else can we ask to have in one book about T-SQL Querying?
I have really enjoyed this book from the begining to the end.

The new chapters from Steve and Dejan:

- Set Theory and Predicate Logic
- Algorithms and Complexity
- The Relational Model

are a very good complement. Having these topics is handy and refreshing, not to mention a must in this discipline.

Itzik's cover about the new T-SQL features introduced with SQL Server 2008, is insightful and very well guided. No doubt that he is an educator by nature.

If you are new to T-SQL, I strongly recommend that you first read Itzik's book "Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals", prior to diving into this series (T-SQL Querying and T-SQL Programming).

Thanks to all the authors for such wonderful book.

Alejandro Mesa
SQL Server MVP

Great mentoring book
As usual books from Itzik Ben-Gan give me better understanding of hard-to-grasp concept related to set theory and SQL query.
... Read more

Product Description
Create dynamic client/server applications using PL/SQL and the comprehensive information contained in this authoritative volume. Expert Oracle insiders cover the features of PL/SQL, explain scripting semantics and syntax, and fully detail the PL/SQL functionality of Oracle Database 10g. You’ll learn how to write powerful PL/SQL programs, interact with Oracle databases, perform complex calculations, and handle error conditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Extremely poorly written book.
This is A poorly written book. The programming examples used in the book are not explained in any detail. For instance, in Chapters 3 and 4, it uses functions and procedures and other objects without providing any explanation for the benefit of those new to PL/SQL programming. I really don't understand how could a such a book be written. In places, even the naming scheme is confusing and requires an effort to comprehend. For someone who is starting out with PL/SQL programming, I definitely would not recommend this book.

Link to the online examples not found in book ...
I read through the first 5 chapters of this book and did not find the link to the examples. On page 18 there's an entire paragraph or two that talks about the online examples.But does not provide a link to them.I was able to find the examples by googling for one of the source file names.I've provided the link below. Hope it saves someone the time of having to search like I did. [...]

Comprehensive
I "subscribe" to this author and publisher for texts on this topic.I like the writing style and layout of the book.There enough explanation to be thorough, and enough practical examples to be useful outside of pure theoretical discussion.Plus, there are plenty of references in the appendix, so those pages are essentially a "Nutshell."

However, I think I prefer the layout of the 9i edition.The flow was nicer:a structured outline, then some examples.In the 10g edition, the flow seems to have changed:a briefer description in paragraph form, then a lot more examples.

Not written by educators...Obviously
Let me start by stating that I agree with Frank N. Loreti's review of this book, and one part in particular: this book was not written by educators.And I would like to add that they don't seem to be terribly good writers, either.

Some examples from the first three chapters (plus one page of chapter 4) to illustrate my point:

On page 72, it reads: "Boolean variables, when combined with an IF-THEN block, do not need to be provided with a comparison value if only comparing to TRUE."First, Boolean variables aren't "combined" with an IF-THEN, they are *used* as part of the [Boolean] condition of the IF-THEN.And second, writing that they don't need to be provided is, educationally speaking, not very wise; it suggests that it's a specific feature of the language, a short cut if you will, when in fact it's a mere consequence of how the evaluation of Boolean expressions work.

On pages 108 and 109, I think it's a glaring omission that the writers don't mention whether the PL/SQL CASE statement uses 'fall-thru' or not.For several reasons, I don't expect this to be the case, but if it's not used, how is the 'CASE with different variables' treated?In other words, in the example at the bottom of page 109, is only Steve printed, or all names?Come to think of it: in the example before it, what happens if the conditions in the CASE overlap? (E.g., change the second WHEN-condition to
v_price BETWEEN 30 AND 50
What happens then if v_price equals 35?Will only the first WHEN-statement block be executed?Will both be executed?Will an exception be thrown?Less likely, but not impossible: maybe a compile-time error is given?)It's hard for me to understand how any decent programmer can overlook the fact that these 'details' need to be discussed.

On page 110, loops are discussed: "We cover three different types here: Simple loops.The most basic kind of loop, they include LOOP, END LOOP, and some method of EXIT."Since 'different types' of loops are discussed, the plurality in 'Simple loops' suggests that there are several types of simple loops --and it seems they are called the 'LOOP', and 'END LOOP'... or something.Of course, this is not the case: there's only one type of simple loop.It starts with the keyword LOOP which is followed by a statement block that may/should contain an EXIT statement, and it ends with the keywords END LOOP.

You don't have to be a professional writer to sense that you can't end a section with a couple of bullet points (just like, apparently and unfortunately, you can't end a chapter without a useless summary) so you'll need at least an extra line of text, but unfortunately the writers of this book don't have the finesse to cross that bridge unnoticed.For example, at the beginning of chapter 4 a list of topics for that chapter is given in bullet points, followed by the following recommendation:

"As these features are demonstrated, think about how they can be used to improve the functionality, performance and design of your applications."

It's suggestions like these that simply make my toes curl.

Add to all this the absence of a decent structure (the books keeps jumping from simple features to advanced features and back, fragmenting the explanation of both), and the authors should consider themselves lucky I'm still giving this book 3 stars...

Best Choice
When I started studing PL/SQL...
I got recommanded this book.
Now I satisfied my choice because of contents of this book.
I recommand this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Oracle PL/SQL Developer's Workbook is a companion toSteven Feuerstein's bestselling Oracle PL/SQL Programming and his other PL/SQL books from O'Reilly. It contains a carefully constructedset of problems and solutions that will test your languageskills and help you become a better developer--both with PL/SQL and with other languages. Exercises are provided at three levels:beginner, intermediate, and expert. The workbook exercises coverall the major features of PL/SQL, including those new toOracle8i (e.g., Java and web features, autonomous transactions,and bulk binds). The workbook covers:

Basic language elements--variables, naming, loops, conditional and sequential control, exception handling, and records.Data structures--index-by tables, nested tables, variables arrays (VARRAYs), and object technology.Database interaction--cursors, DML and transaction management, cursor variables, and native dynamic SQLProgram construction--procedures, functions, blocks, packages, database triggers, and calling PL/SQL functions in SQL.Built-in functionality--the character, date, conversion, numeric, and miscellaneous functions, and the DBMS_SQL, DBMS_PIPE, DBMS_OUTPUT, UTL_FILE, and DBMS_JOB built-in packages.Miscellaneous topics--using Java with PL/SQL, external programs, PL/SQL web development, tuning PL/SQL, and PL/SQL for DBAs.

Customer Reviews (7)

dev workbook disappoints

looks like they forgot about c developers. been looking for a book that covers oci and occi extensively. if youre a c developer, this is not what youre looking for.

Indispensible for any PL/SQL programmer
If there is any book which will "fine-tune" one's knowledge of PL/SQL, this is it. It is written in Feuerstein's inimitable style which will keep you engaged with the book much longer than any other peer book of it's kind. There is so much to learn from this book really - and it applies to beginners as experts alike. This book explores the tiniest nuts and bolts of PL/SQL in an exercise-like format which gives the reader a chance to ponder on the problem before he/she looks up the answers. And I must add, you are in store for a lot of surprises when you look up the answers in the second half of the book ! (escpecially in the experts' section)

Indispensible for any PL/SQL programmer
If there is any book which will "fine-tune" one's knowledge of PL/SQL, this is it. It is written in Feuerstein's inimitable style which will keep you engaged with the book much longer than any other peer book of it's kind. There is so much to learn from this book really - and it applies to beginners as experts alike. This book explores the tiniest nuts and bolts of PL/SQL in an exercise-like format which gives the reader a chance to ponder on the problem before he/she looks up the answers. And I must add, you are in store for a lot of surprises when you look up the answers in the second half of the book ! (escpecially in the experts' section)

Great Book with Helpful Learning Exercises
I thought this book was great.If you like getting into specific, real-world programming tasks and figuring out the best solutions then this book is for you.He provides helpful explainations along with his solutions.There are a lot of top-notch, practical techniques that you learn as you get into the nitty-gritty of working on small pieces of pl/sql code.There are also questions that test your conceptual understanding of different facets of pl/sql programming --- questions that you could face on a job interview.Even though I've been a pl/sql developer for a few years, I found this book very useful.

The prefect second PL/SQL book
This is a great book to test your PL/SQL knowledge no matter what level you are at. In fact each chapter is devided into 3 sections: Beginner, Intermediate and Expert.This is an excellent book to get after you haveworked through a PL/SQL course and want something to give you the extraedge on all the various PL/SQL topics.There is some very good hard tofind information in here. ... Read more

Product Description

Pro SQL Server 2008 Analytics provides everything you need to know to develop sophisticated and visually appealing sales and marketing dashboards using SQL Server 2008 and to integrate those dashboards with SharePoint, PerformancePoint, and other key Microsoft technologies.

The book begins by addressing the many misconceptions that surround the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and giving a brief overview of the business intelligence (BI) and reporting tools that can be combined on the Microsoft platform to help you generate the results that you need.

The focus of the book is to help you implement a successful business intelligence project of your own. The text discusses many of the required project planning components, provides overviews and examples associated with Microsoft’s BI tools, and gives detailed examples of successful dashboard implementations.

Customer Reviews (1)

A book to give Jump Start on SQL Server Analytics
I referred to this book while doing a prototype in building a Sales dashboard for a company. It gave me a jump start in using Microsoft technologies to come up with a dashboard in a short time. To be honest this is the first book I am referring to on this task. Especially I liked the case studies chapter at the end of the book to be very helpful. The chapters provide covers well on details around SQL Server analytics but I was looking for examplesin each chapter to get me though. But this book solved it's purpose for me.
I will recommend this book to other like me who want to start working on dashboards and analytics using SQL Server tools.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Poorly written, and confusing
Probably the worst Technical book I have ever read. It is poorly formatted, and some paragraphs just do not make sense. Examples are weak, and not explained leaving you to toil over it to figure what the writter is trying to accomplish. I highly recommend avoiding this book. Do not make the costly mistake I did.

ADavanced Oracla SQL
I found most of the book to be a rehash of other material Oracle published.Most of the SQL I would not consider advanced.I felt if a intermediate at best.I bought this book about 6 months ago and after reading I have only used it once or twice as reference.There is some stuff in one of the middle chapters, but overall I was disappointed.

Decent book on advanced SQL but much to be desired
I am an ardent reader of Laurent Schneider's blog: http://laurentschneider.com/. His deep understanding of databases is unparalleled. The tips he provides are very practical and handy. That's probably what raised my expectations from his book: "Advanced Oracle SQL Programming". I have just finished reading through this book and I can clearly say that I am a bit disappointed with the book.
- It feels more like a collection of Laurent's notes on various Oracle SQL topics.
- There is a disconnect between one topic and the next one.
- Topics are very brief, often not exceeding 3-4 sentences. Much more detailed discussion/analysis of each concept would have made the book more readable.
- More tips/tricks (like the ones in boxes with an explosive symbol) would have made me go back to this book often.
- This may sound trivial, but the formatting of the code unnecessarily takes up too much space. e.g, in the first chapter itself, all the "INSERT" statements run to 8 pages! They could have easily been arranged 2 columns/page. They are not even required because it is available for download anyway at the book's website.
Nice things I found in the book:
- Exercise problems are really good, will make you think.
- Explanation on Joins, Subquery and Hierarchical queries are so far the best I have read.

Best SQL Reference for Oracle
After few month of writing SQL, everyone has a good grasp of the language basics - you can use joins, where, group by and nested queries and 99% of the time, this is enough.

But sometimes, this is not enough, or maybe it does the job, but its slow or ugly. And you wonder - is there a better way to select data?

This book will show you a better way. Laurent Schneider is an Oracle developer with over a decade of experience. He shows you all the tricks and techniques that real experts use when writing queries.

"Advanced Oracle SQL Programming" covers every advanced function and feature that Oracle has to offer and gives plenty of real-life, business relevant examples of how these advanced features should be used. You'll find yourself writing better code almost immediately, and the book even contains exercises that will allow you to practice your new skills as you learn. ... Read more

Product Description
In PROC SQL by Example: Using SQL within SAS, author Howard Schreier illustrates the use of PROC SQL in the context of the SAS DATA step and other SAS procedures (such as SORT, FREQ, MEANS, SUMMARY, APPEND, DATASETS, and TRANSPOSE) whose functionality overlaps and complements that of SQL.

Using a side-by-side approach, this concise reference guide includes many extensively explained examples showing equivalent DATA step and SQL code, enabling SAS users to take advantage of existing SAS skills and knowledge while learning about SQL. Discussions cover the differences between SQL and the DATA step as well as situations where SQL and the DATA step are used together to benefit from the strengths of each.

Topics addressed include working with joins and merges; using subqueries; understanding set operators; using the Macro Facility with PROC SQL; maintaining tables; working with views; using PROC SQL as a report generator; and more.

This text is ideal for SAS programmers seeking to add PROC SQL to their SAS toolkits as well as SQL programmers striving to better integrate the SAS DATA step and SQL. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

So-So
I used this book to learn how to merge databases in SAS.In my opinion you are better off saving your money and refering to one of the free online training manuals for proc sql.I didn't really realize an incremental benefit from purchasing this book.

The best SAS SQL
SAS has 3 books out on SQL (this and Proc SQL: Beyond the Basics Using SAS or The Essential PROC SQL Handbook for SAS Users).This one is the most advanced and I think the most useful.I like it the best because it covers a wide range of SQL applications, from the basics, like picking one variable from one table of data, out to very advanced topics like nested sub-queries.The writing is clear and the examples are plentiful.

If you know SQL and need to see how it is implemented in SAS get this one.

This book should be understandable to someone who has no SQL experience but one of the other two would probably be a good idea (as well as this one). ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

Very definitive guide to sql server programming. Topics are up-to-date and well covered.
This book covers nearly all topics on SQL Server programming. It begins with the differences between the SQL Server 2000 and 2005. 2005 has new tools (SSMS, Profiler, BIDS, command line), data types, xml support, and .NET integration. Chapters 1-4 go over these topics in turn. The next series shows the reader how to program using the Visual Studio IDE, deal with XML programming, and web services (Chaptes 5-8). Chapters 9-14 are on programming SQL Server management and reporting tools plus interfacing with the objects exposed by SQL Server through .NET. The remaining chapters are on programming services: SS agent, intergrations services, broker, notification services, and analysis services.

The book is quite thourough and has a large number of examples, code, and pictures for each topic. The book is generally easy to read and well indexed. Programmers will feel right at home with all the extra help provided by the book.

Folks who have no programming experience of any kind will likely struggle with the information in the book. Basic SQL is shown but not explained. It is clear the book is meant for people programming and/or automating SQL Server topics rather than just running basic queries. That being said, the chapter on XML was very helpful even from just a querying point of view. Using XML as a bulk load technique was particuarly useful and turned out to be very fast when loading text based data to the server. Querying XML data was covered by using both FOR XML statements and using XQuery type statements. The chapter sovering SSIS was also very useful as there is not much material on SSIS yet.

This book is a must have for SQL Server DBAs, programmers, and professionals.

Boring and inaccessible
This book is very inaccessible, not because it is too complex, but because it is poorly written. If you'd like to actually learn SQL Server programming I'd recommend Professional SQL Server 2005 Programming (Programmer to Programmer).

A Great Book for Learning New Features - Review of Database Administrator SQLAuthority.com
User does not have to be experience SQL Server 2005 programmer to use this book; as it is designed for users of all levels. This book also suggests that user does not have to be experienced with SQL Server 2000. However, I disagree with that. This book only covers new features of SQL Server 2005. Understanding of fundamental relational database concepts is helpful to digest and accept the concepts introduced in this book.

This book covers following perspective of SQL Server 2005 new features.
* Tools and utilities
* Data types
* T-SQL enhancements
* Programmability enhancements
* XML support
* Native XML web services
* SQL Management Objects
* SQL Server Integration Services
* SQL Server Reporting Services
* SQL Server Notification Services
* SQL Server ServiceBroker
* Replication Management Objects
* SQL Server Agent
* SQL Server Mobile Edition

The code used in the book is available for download on O'Reilly web site. I always like this as I really do not like to retype examples from the book. Most of the examples of this book use C# code and Visual Studio 2005. One good thing about this book is it uses AdventureWorks sample database, I always prefer book which uses samples database which comes along the SQL Server, this makes it easily useable by developer. This book is also Safari enabled.

Appendix of this book has in depth explanation of the ADO.NET 2.0, which can be quite useful to users interested in the topic. There are very few good books which covers this topic such in depth.

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: This book is quite good for new learning; I enjoy reading it and learning new concepts from this book.

Pinal Dave
Principal Database Administrator
(blog.sqlauthority.com)

One of the best SQL Server programming book.
This is definitely one of my best SQL programming books.It covers the newer programming concepts; such as XML storage and handling in SQL 2005, very well.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is serious about SQL Server 2005 programming.

It also covers CLR programming in SQL Server.Good book.

Not for the faint of heart
As a new student to the field of SQL Server 2005, I was hoping to obtain a book learning the various methods of programming in SQL Server 2005.I was initially hearted by the first paragraph in the preface:

"You don't need to be an experienced SQL Server 2005 programmer to use this book..."

which is indeed the case if you intend to use it as a paper weight.

The book suspiciously looks like the syntax guide found in most MS products: the procedure name and inputs followed by a description of the inputs.It is not for the beginner/intermediate learner and is somewhat of a disappointment comming from the O'Reilly range ("SQL on SQL Server 2005" is an excellent counter point to the book being reviewed from the same publisher).This book serves mainly as a reference (which on page 7, it clearly states that it is not a reference) to new doctrine in the SQL Server evolution. ... Read more

Product Description
From the authorized Oracle Press comes a complete guide to developing robust PL/SQL applications. The book contains new information on development tools, datatypes, SQL commands and functions, and much more. The CD-ROM contains sample code plus a sampling of development environments covered in the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

good book but the new edition is even better
Its a very good book. covers all the finincial modules very well. Gives the whole flow of data in them. but the newer edition is even better it covers extra modules as well. wil help u in getting a wider view. So i would recomend u to go for the newer edition if u need a wider idea of diff modules

Recommended if you are new to PL/SQL
The book is good and is recommended for someone new to PL/SQL. For someone who is already familiar to PL/SQL, you can save money by going through the Oracle Online Manual to read about the new features of PL/SQL in Oracle 9i. Since I already had a previous version (Oracle 8) of this book, I consider buying this book as waste of money. But if you are just getting into the world of oracle and you want to learn PL/SQL, this book is for you. One nice thing about the book is it comes with a CD that has some trial version of some development environments. Nice to explore those.
I give 4 stars.

A very helpful book to pass the exam.
This is, indeed, a great book to pass this exam(1Z0-147). Actually, there is no prescribed book(as of now!!), for this exam. This book fairly covers most of the topics that are specified in the official exam syllabus. However, topics on Large objects are not covered in this book extensively. I suggest to search on google for LOBS(This is how i got some notes on LOBS). This book is good to study functions, procedures, packages, triggers, and some DBMS packages, but it doesn't cover LOBS, managing dependencies. Overall, I can give 4 stars to this book, as it helped me to pass the exam.

One of the better IT books that I have seen
This is a well written, fast reading book that provides the reader with the information needed but not with the fluff that we do not need.I used this book to pass the Oracle Certification Exan 1Z0-147 : Oracle9i: Program with PL/SQL.If you own this book and 'Oracle PL/SQL' by Steven Feuerstein and Bill Pribyl (published by O'reily), you probably have what you need (for understanding PL/SQL) ... enjoy

Only for newbies
I must say it is not what I expected. Basically, if you know nothing about PL/SQL, that is, the Oracle extension of the SQL, and you need to grasp its general concept in a very short time, this is the book for you.

But the subtittle of the book is definitely misleading. When it comes to advanced topics, the book simply copies from the online documentation from Oracle, but only the brief summery. Say, function DECODE, one of the most powful feature in PL/SQL, is covered in half a page! Just the official definition. Nothing to read about. If you bought Oracle 9i The Complete Reference, you'd find a whole chapter devoted to that function.

The author didn't do much work with this book. If you're a serious programmer, don't bother with this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Standard SQL guarantees that no matter what the database implementation, the features of the language will be applicable across all platforms.Over 200 completely solved problems plus 200 supplementary problems reinforce students' understanding and skills.Features the syntax used by the most important database developers, Oracle and Microsoft, to familiarize students with this common language.Includes labs and practice tests like those used in database certification exams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Schaums book
Good affordable Schaums's outlines book. If you have MySQL installed, upload the sample data from the URL given in the book...before you know it, you have learned the nitty-gritty of SQL fundamentals.Schaum's Outline of Fundamentals of SQL Programming

for new DBAs
Are you a new database administrator? Trying to be one? Or needing to pass a certification exam in one of the main proprietary databases, like Oracle, IBM's db2 or Microsoft SQL Server? And you need to prepare for that exam. Well, there are third party books devoted to each vendor's exam. You should probably get an appropriate one and study it carefully. But you can also improve your chances of passing any of those exams by tackling the problems in this book.

Mata-Toledo offers some 400 problems. With the answers to half of these in the book. He tests virtually the entire syntax of SQL; an industry standard. Everything from arithmetic functions to group functions to making complex queries, and more. Of course, it will take you time to go through these problems. But that is the point of the book, after all.

Also, the book is cheap compared to the other books that specialise in a given database vendor's exam. ... Read more

Product Description
This definitive guide thoroughly explores all aspects of Transact-SQL,a full-featured procedural language used on both Microsoft SQL Serverand Sybase SQL Server systems that dramatically extends the power ofSQL (Structured Query Language). Full of examples, best practices, andreal-world advice, it contains up-to-the-minute information on thelatest versions: Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.5 and 7.0 and Sybaseversion 11.5. The book is divided into six convenient parts. Part I contains anintroduction, an SQL primer, and chapters on language fundamentals,format, and style. Part II describes datatypes and variables, conditionalprocessing, cursors, error handling, temporary objects, transactions, and locking. Part III covers the various types of functions availableto programmers and CASE extensions to the language. Part IV discussesstored procedures and modular design, triggers, views, extended storedprocedures, and BCP. Part V describes code design and maintenance,optimization, tuning, transactions, locking, testing, and debugging.The appendixes summarize system tables and version differences.The enclosed CD-ROM contains an extensive set of examples from thebook and complete programs that illustrate the power of the language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (101)

Great T-SQl reference when working on older systems
I use this for reference while working on Sybase 11.9.2. It's an excellent in-depth book. Includes basic SQL through procs and cursors to detailed tuning information. Only the index could use some improvement.

"The Bible"
This is the bible for Sybase developer.I actually never finished reading this book cover to cover(tried few times but failed and gave up eventually) due to its rather dry writing style.But, now that I have an odd job of being moribund Sybase developer, I found myself referencing this book time after time.I also have the printout of the official Sybase documentation on Transact-SQL but the examples in this book are much better.

Only complaint I have is, they don't start talking about Stored Procs until later in the book.And, I think most developer learn Transct-SQL language so that they can write the Stored Procedures so the order of the presentation seemed little odd.

Still quite relevant for Sybase developers
Although there aren't too many Sybase databases anymore, quite a few firms (esp. in Finance) have them and if you find yourself working with Sybase I strongly recommend this book. It's been a great. The sections on Error handling (Ch.9), transactions and locking (Ch.11) and built-in Functions (Ch.12) have been invaluable over the years.
A really good book for someone who knows standard SQL (SQL-92) quite well and just needs to know the ins-and-outs of Sybase despite the fact that the books is a number of years old.

Good resource for T-SQL information
I purchased my copy back in 1999 and it is one of my favorite SQL books.I find the information very accurate and relevant to the MS SQL versions (6.5 & 7.0) printed on the cover of the book.I think it was the best SQL book for many years.Since 1999, many books for newer versions of database servers have been published.

For some reason, many people who wrote bad reviews about this book were looking for MS SQL 2000 information -the cover states the versions covered in the book.

There are many newer books that cover MS SQL 2000.One of my favorites is SQL Server 2000 Programming from Robert Vieira.

Good book with easy-to-find answers to your questions
Judging from the other reviews here, people either love this book or they hate it.I love it.This book has proved invaluable to me over the years, and I still reference it on occassion.Whenever I have a question about something, the answer is easy to find.It *is* out of date, as other reviewers have noted, but the majority of information contained within is still valid.

If you're new to T-SQL, I recommend starting with this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Learn SQL the fun and easy way – no programming experience needed!

SQL For Dummies, 7th Edition, shows programmers and web developers how to use SQL to build relational databases and get valuable information from them. This book covers the core features of the SQL language. Topics covered include how to use SQL to structure a DBMS and implement a database design; secure a database; and retrieve information from a database. This edition will be revised to reflect the new enhancements of SQL/XML:2008.

The latest update of the perennial bestselling SQL For Dummies, which has sold more than 210,000 units in six editions.

SQL is the most popular database language in the world

Covers creating, accessing, manipulating, maintaining, and storing information in relational database management systems (DBMS) such as Access, Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL.

Includes new content on using SQL with XML to power data-driven web sites and using SQL with Access 2010

Whether you're daunted by database development or a system admin star, SQL For Dummies, 7th Dummies will have you working your web site in no time at all.Amazon.com Review
This is the rare case of a book that can take you from a beginner to an advanced-intermediate level. Like many of the books in IDG's Dummies series, this volume begins with a definition ("What is SQL?") and ends with "The Part of Tens," a collection of tips in a top ten list form. Taylor writes in a breezy, entertaining style that SQL novices will find inviting. One caveat: The examples are given in Borland's Delphi, a rapid application development (RAD) tool. Some sections show several screen shots from Delphi and it may be difficult to follow along in these sections if you don't have the program in front of you. As with other Dummies books, SQL for Dummies is entertaining to read although the nonstop jokes may distract some readers from the technical content. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Great Service
Great service. Book was in stated condition and arrived promptly. I'd do this business with this person again.

Good Quick Resource
This book is a good, quick and easy to refer to reference book.I save a lot of time and it is interesting reading

SQL for Dummies
This was a great addition to my library and love the fact that it it written in "plain" easy to understand language.

rambling and disorganized
This book is a waste of money. Disorganized, rambles, presents examples without explaining them fully, repeats sections, hard to find what you are looking for since it is written in such a hodgepodge style, not good for either learning for the 1st time or as a reference.

just what I wanted
This was just what I wanted.I was pleased with the service and the book.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Expected more advanced topics inside for the book's title
Received item in excellent condition but it arrived longer than expected.

For the book itself, I was expecting a more advanced tuning topics to be
covered in it. The title is a bit deceiving. Other than that, everything
else was good.

GOOD BUT TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE FEW TOPICS INCLUDED
very useful for many things but, it's not a programming book so, at the end of the book you've focused your attention only on few things that you should learn and keep in mind.

That's it...

I'm happy with it but in my opinion it's a bit too expensive for what it gives.

good advice
I found some very good advice in this book for PL/SQL tuning.Using some of the examples on bulk loads and forall..inserts I was able to get hundredfold improvements in some row at a time loads.The examples were easy to understand and showed techniques for verifying performance effects.They could use a better proofreader, but on the whole, I think this is a good book for a PL/SQL developer.

PL/SQL Secrets revealed
This book has been a great resource for me as I get acquainted with various Oracle assets, including many things that I was not aware of concerning PL/SQL. Expect to learn improved ways of handling Oracle, knowing that this book is for the advanced and eager Oracle user.Dr. Hall obviously has experience in Oracle, to the point where he can exemplify these complex concepts in an easy to follow format.From one Oracle professional to another, I highly recommend this book.

sql tuning
This book sucks; they should call this book useless way to try to improve the performance of oracle. For instance the author simulates a slow sql statement by using example of a state that counts the time for a number of seconds, like of like a sleep command. Doing this for a number for year I never came across a sleep or wait command for slow query. The authors also never say why or go into detail about his suggestion. It is like he does not really know what he is talking about but gives you example of the problem and solution but never really goes into why. ... Read more

Product Description

Create a Highly Available Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Environment

Written by the technical director for SQL Server Magazine, this expert guide shows you how to implement clustering and database mirroring in SQL Server 2008. Learn proven techniques for ensuring zero database loss, avoiding system downtime, and providing instant data backups. Filled with detailed instructions, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 High Availability with Clustering & Database Mirroring takes you from planning to management of a robust high availability solution.

• Configure Windows Failover Clustering
• Set up the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator on a two node failover cluster
• Install SQL Server 2008 on your cluster
• Handle cluster management and backup
• Configure and manage database mirroring for high availability
• Implement Hyper-V virtualization and Live Migration
• Manage a SQL Server virtual machine

Michael Otey is the technical director for SQL Server Magazine and Windows IT Pro and the bestselling author of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Developer's Guide, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 New Features, and several other books. He is president of TECA, Inc., a software development and consulting company. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides the database professional and power user with working solutions for daily business tasks.The goal has been to reduce needless writing and concentrate on the daily needs of database usage and development.An efficient database professional does not need a book to tell him or her how to execute a query or how many types of queries Access 2007 supports; the answers are a click away in the help file or online.

What power users and developers need is thought-out solutions to show them the way to achieve their difficult tasks without having to look around for hours, days, or sometimes weeks.In addition, they need a book to show them when something is possible, when it is not, how many ways exist to achieve a task, and which one is the most efficient. Furthermore, the table of contents is not arranged by topic (tables, queries, reports, etc) but by solution.The content of the book should be practical and the layout should help the professional find what he or she needs in seconds.

Learn how to use your databases for real business tasksPindar has worked on hundreds of business databases and operational systems for the last 18 years.In this book, he provides actual scenarios and code you can use in your daily business situations.Actually, you will get many ideas of how to employ Access 2007 to get data in ways you were not aware it was possible. Some examples, especially in the beginning of each chapter are quite simple so that readers with less Access experience can follow and learn but they are definitely not simplistic.

Leave superfluous theory on the side and focus on the essence of your operations You might be taught a thousand pieces of theory and politically correct techniques on databases.In the end, what you will need is a way to accomplish your task.This book will show you exactly the concepts you should learn and expand on them in detail.Theory is present but only to support a practical technique; not for the sake of it.

Concentrate on holistic solutions and not clustered technical skills This book leaves behind the classical format of texts.Instead of providing multiple and isolated concepts, it combines the necessary techniques to arrive to a real world solution. For example, instead of just showing what a date function is, it demonstrates how it can be used in combination with clauses and other functions to obtain order processing cycle times or order fulfillment goals for your corporation.At the end of the day, when you read a book, you need to be able to use your knowledge to achieve a task.

The business table of contentsYou will find a novelty in this book which is its business table of contents.There are two tables of contents in this book.There is the classical one to find what you need on database concepts.However, there is also a business table of contents you can consult to find the business solution you need.For example, how to conditionally update product prices from multiple suppliers and by various percentages.

Use this book as a handy referenceFinally, this book has been written with the idea of using it as a reference.You might need to flip its pages to check something simple like the correct use of quotes in criteria expressions or concatenated fields. Or you might need to check something more elaborate like how to use a subquery to manipulate data in one table based on the values of another table. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Author also provide database for earlier version of Access
I use much older version of Access at work and the author also provides the sample database compatible with my Access 2003 (It's important for me as I need the older version Access file to practice the book's SQL syntax).

Another amazing thing is the author answers your email! (When you go to the book's website, you get the author's email and that's how I got the book's sampledata in Access 2003 format)

All the Code works!
"This is really a great book.I recently failed an interview with AT&T for a job using Access SQL extensively.
I don't think I'll be failing any more interviews involving Access SQL, at least not after I go through this book 2 or 3 times.It's really amazing how all the code works.Most programming books are speckled with errors."

Excellent Straightforward Overview
This book provides a great introduction to SQL, with clear examples and an easy to read text.

great source for Access users
As one of the few Access users in my department who actually has to create databases, not just use them, I find this book to be a great resource.Since I don't have a computer science background, I particularly appreciate the way the book presents solutions for programmers and for business users.As a business user, I need the explanation of the problem, the solution, and an example that I can use, and this book provides them. It is one of my top resources.

Great Guide to SQL for Access 2007
The book is a well written guide to using the SQL language to build databases and manipulate data in Access 2007. The author explains not only the syntax of how to manipulate the data but also gives insights and examples as to how the manipulations are useful from a business perspective. I think the book is a great resource for anyone using SQL in Access 2007. ... Read more

Product Description
SQL for Microsoft Access, Second Edition provides a guide to getting the most out of Microsoft Access through the use of Structured Query Language. Step-by-step examples demonstrate how to use SQL script to create tables, add records to tables, and retrieve and manage records. Readers will also learn about calculated fields, Access projects, and the integration of SQL script in VBA and ASP code. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Lots of mistakes
This book is loaded with problems.I started using the book three days ago, trying to work my way through the examples.I have only reached page 73 and here are the problems I've run into so far:

On page 48 there is Example 6 that demonstrates how to insert five records into a table.However, the author doesn't mention that you cannot use the example as it is written in the book, and that you have to run the five statement separately.Frustrating!

On page 57 you are instructed to update a Sales table that you have not created (I know, it's in the "Companion Resources". I'll get to that.)

On page 71 you get instructions to order another non-existent table (another companion resource).

On page 73, Example 7 shows you how to order a table by selecting rows.However, the output shown on the page is wrong.It is supposed to put the last names in alphabetical order, but there is no discernible order to the table shown.

Now, about the Companion Resource files. I tried to download them but I got an email saying that they are available only to "qualified instructors"- not just us schleps who shelled out $36 for the book!

Maybe have someone test this book before the next edition!

Excellent fundamentals explanation
As somebody new to both Access and SQL, I found this to be my best reference for getting started.It covers the basics and does a great job.You cannot perform advanced objectives without a solid understanding of the fundamentals.
Each chapter has a series of self-test questions to make sure you have mastered the necessary concepts for that chapter. (and the answers are in the back)
There's also quite a bit of good quick reference material in the back for frequently used SQL keywords (for Access) and general database terminology.
I've found it to be a great book and I highly recommend it.

Excellent Access Primer
This book is an excellent primer for the SQL novice.It is well organized and offers an excellent exposition of Microsoft's version of the SQL language.There is just on big problem; it is just about impossible to download the book's companion file offered on the Wordware site.This problem is a serious flaw in an otherwise outstanding book. ... Read more

Product Description
SQL Server 2005 offers the capability to write code in a .NET language that can be compiled and run inside SQL Server. CLR Integration, or SQL CLR, lets you create stored procedures, user-defined types, triggers, table valued functions, and aggregates using a .NET managed language. You can read and write to resources outside of SQL Server and enjoy a tighter integration with XML, web services, and simple file and logging capabilities.

Here's the reference you'll want on your desk as you develop SQL CLR solutions. It helps you decide whether to use SQL CLR, how to lock down security, and learn from real examples. If you want to develop stored procedures or other objects in .NET for SQL Server 2005, this book offers exactly what you need.

What you will learn from this book

• The concepts and architecture of SQL CLR
• Uses of .NET namespaces in SQL Server programming tasks
• How to develop and benchmark routines in T-SQL and .NET to determine when CLR-based solutions are advantageous
• How to replace extended stored procedures using SQL CLR stored procedures
• How to use SQL CLR objects in external applications
• How to restrict and secure SQL CLR object capabilities
• Processes and procedures for deploying SQL CLR objects

Who this book is for

This book is for developers and architects who are familiar with .NET concepts as well as DBAs who, although developers in their own right, may be slightly less up to date on .NET. A solid grounding in T-SQL is necessary.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Taking .NET Inside the Data Base
Microsoft's Common Language Runtime (CLR) is a series of subroutines that basically make up the foundation of a programming language. This is an integral part of Microsoft's .NET framework which is basically an extension of the operating system to provide additional functionality. And of course to tie the user to the Microsoft operating system.

In SQL Server 2005, CLR has been built into the database itself so that developers can approach problems by programming in either SQL or CLR or a combination of both. This book is a general introduction to programming in CLR with SQL Server 2005. It is intended to be an 'open book' that you would keep open in front of you as you program using the CLR functions.

These is some discussion in the book about the decision to use CLR or to stay with SQL, but obviously these authors are believers in CLR. If nothing else, reading the book will give you a good idea about CLR and whether you want ot use it or not.

Note that since the announcement of .NET, the developers of Linux, Oracle and others have announced that they will also offer .NET/CLR support. It appears this is going to be the way and the light in the future. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

reads like a technical database journal
okvadim knows his stff.but i want to see more emphasis on the practical sections (like sql servers pivot operator, which i use in practice all the time but only got 3 pages, whereas really weird stuff like graphs got like 50 pages.
if your into the super deep stuff u might check this out, however if u are a practical user, than this will be pretty useless.

Great book for improving SQL skills
I really liked this book.Great examples and explanations of complex ideas.It has definitely helped me to better understand Design Patterns.I plan to come back to this one.

A Fresh Look at What we do
First let me point out, there are several problems with this book.

1) The author's english is a bit broken so in some places you will find yourself frustrated by having to read things twice or more to understand it.

2) The author has a great mathematics background, but again in a few places, this actually gets in the way as most of us do not have such a deep mathematics grounding and so won't understand what the math is trying to tell us.Knowing there is a sound mathematical set of principles behind things is nice but the details and symbols are often too deep for me.

3) For those of us who are actually ADVANCED developers, there may be little here in the way of new tips or tricks because you will already know and practice many of the techniques discussed.

INPSITE OF THESE DETRACTORS, I give the book five stars and suggest thatanyone looking to go to the next level with their SQL skills should read it for a mind set, because it has the potential to actually change the way we work.Language issue aside, it clearly articulates the idea that it is possible to make a mental leap that will take you from average sql development to great sql development.I liken it to what my typing teacher in High School once told me: "when you stop thinking about the letters and start thinking about the words, your typing will improve dramatically with fewer errors and faster results".In the same way, this author shows us there is a mental leap to be made with sql.The number of lines of code does not matter.What matters is ideas.When we stop thinking about number of tables in the from clause or number of joins in the where clause, and instead start thinking about DESIGN PATTERNS, the quality of our sql code will improve dramtically just like our ability to type did when we made the simple mental leap from letters on a page to words in a sentence.

This is a refreshing new look at what we do.I have thought for some time what the author is saying, but I could not express it in words till I read this book.

Hail Flavius!

I have learnt new methods
This book explain the root techniques for grouping and aggregating. It contains versatile approaches, like summing hashes to group items. By reading this book I have now extended my capabilities to build creative queries.

The author invented many techniques, the most famous is probably the row generator CONNECT BY LEVEL<10. Wise approach to constraint is to use a on-commit refreshable materialized view and a constraint on the materialized view to check the view is empty rather than using a trigger. This technique however requires COMMIT (like a deferred constraint).

... Read more