The Classic SQL Tutorial: Fully Updated for Today's Standards and Today's Top Databases For twenty years, van der Lans' Introduction to SQL has been the definitive SQL tutorial for database professionals everywhere, regardless of experience or platform. Now van der Lans has systematically updated this classic guide to reflect the latest SQL standards and the newest versions of today's leading RDBMSs: Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, DB2, and MySQL. Using case study examples and hands-on exercises, van der Lans illuminates every key SQL concept, technique, and statement. Drawing on decades of experience as an SQL standards team member and enterprise consultant, he reveals exactly why SQL works as it does-and how to get the most out of it. You'll gain powerful insight into everything from basic queries to stored procedures, transactions to data security. Whether you're a programmer or DBA, a student or veteran, this book will take you from "apprentice" to true SQL master. Writing queries and updating data: all you need to know about SELECT Working with joins, functions, and subqueries Creating database objects: tables, indexes, views, and more Specifying keys and other integrity constraints Using indexes to improve efficiency Enforcing security via passwords and privileges Building stored procedures and triggers Developing with embedded SQL and ODBC Working with transactions, including rollbacks, savepoints, isolation levels, and more Optimizing performance by reformulating SQL statements Using object-relational features: subtables, references, sets, and user-defined data types Reference section: SQL statement definitions and SQL function lists
A must have for any person who wants a deep understanding of basic SQL commands.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
Many times people will look at the screen after typing a sql query containing a distinct aggregation and think... "How the hell did that query bring up this result". Rick F. van der Lans Does an absolutly amazing job at describing in minute detail every nuance and mathmatical thought behind the most basic of sql functions. This book is platform independent, so it doesn't go into great detail in regards to proprietary functions and DBA related issues; however, I would highly recommend it to DBA's, Data Analysts and Programmers. No matter what your skill level, you will get something from this book. -Brad
very thorough but lacks tips
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
Found the text to be very very thorough, and the translation from Dutch to be excellent. My only complaint is that some of the code does not run on all servers, and wish the editors had tagged some of the code with tips on which servers the code was for. The book "SQL Cookbook" has that, and wish this book had that too. For example, in one of the last chapters, the discussion on Collections, there is code that introduces the SETOF concept, but does not mention on which SQL implementation it is applicable.
Clear, with numerous helpful examples
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
First, I should mention that I got this book in Dec. 2000 and had no trouble installing the disk on Windows98. Hopefully the problem pointed about by another reviewer has been resolved. Incidentally, I find the SOLID server very easy to set up and use, with a simple but friendly user interface. OK, now for the book. It is very clear and includes numerous detailed examples, along with step-by-step discussion as to why the syntax works the way it does. This is particularly helpful when grouping, subqueries, joins, etc., or combinations thereof are involved. Sometimes he'll solve a problem in more than one way, which is good to see. Occasionally, too, like a good teacher he will have a snare for the unwary and go on to say, "Wait, this isn't working the way intended," and use the pitfall as a way of bringing home a point. Another thing I like is the adaptation of Backus-Naur Form that he uses in specifying languages -- if you've never seen BNF before (which included me before reading this book), that may sound a little daunting. Actually, it makes correct usage really clear. One more thing to mention about this book is its excellent range of topics without bogging down on them. In addition to covering the core keywords "select", "from", "where", and so forth, he talks about imbedded SQL (which I rely on heavily when I use VB or work on web pages), stored procedures, and what ODBC is, to mention only a few extra topics. Finally, the translator should be commended for readable, fluent English.
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