Beginning SQL Queries: From Novice to Professional (Books for Professionals by Professionals) [Paperback]

Clare Churcher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590599438 | ISBN-13: 978-1590599433 | Publication Date: April 16, 2008 | Edition: 1

Beginning Queries with SQL is a friendly and easily read guide to writing queries with the all-important—in the database world—SQL language. Anyone who does any work at all with databases needs to know something of SQL, and that is evidenced by the strong sales of such books as Learning SQL (O'Reilly) and SQL Queries for Mere Mortals (Pearson). Beginning Queries with SQL is written by the author of Beginning Database Design, an author who is garnering great reviews on Amazon due to the clarity and succinctness of her writing.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clare Churcher (B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D.(physics) ) has designed several databases for a variety of large and small projects. She is a senior faculty member of the Applied Computing Group at Lincoln University where her teaching has included Analysis and Design, Database, and Programming papers. In 2006 she won a Lincoln University Excellence in Teaching Award. She has supervised over 70 undergraduate projects designing databases for small projects.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (April 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590599438
• ISBN-13: 978-1590599433
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases > SQL

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect little problem solver, July 5, 2008

By 

Ian Lill (Ashburton, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning SQL Queries: From Novice to Professional (Books for Professionals by Professionals) (Paperback)

I'm a computer-savy first time SQL'er. I found this book to provide a quick and complete introduction to SQL that allowed me to straight away get going. It's written from a practical stand point which is really useful if you're like me and just want to get the job done.

I also like the way book tackles the subject from two different angles - she calls it the Algebra or Calculus angles. Sounds mathematical but it simply means that when you're got a complicated problem you've got twice the chance of finding a solution.

This book comes totally recommended. I became quite intrigued by the stuff about how you should design your database right that I'm now reading her book on Database Design.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid start, December 17, 2008

By 

Stephane Faroult (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning SQL Queries: From Novice to Professional (Books for Professionals by Professionals) (Paperback)

Disclaimer: although I have had nothing to do with this book and I have never met the author (we live at the antipodes of each other), I was the technical reviewer for her previous book - and I am the author of two SQL books, none of them for beginners.

Knowing Clare's style, I have been extremely surprised by some of the reviews of this book, which are rather harsh. I got a copy of "Beginning SQL Queries", and read it to have an opinion of my own.
Several reviewers complain about the references to algebra and calculus; I think they have missed Clare's point, which was to show that there are two writing styles with SQL. She could have called them style A and style B, but unfortunately she is rather precise in what she writes and chose to call them by their received names of algebra and calculus, which I agree are dirty names. Which one is algebra and which one is calculus is usually something I forget very fast, and I've practiced SQL for a quarter of a century; believe me, you can use both styles without knowing their names.
I also take objection to one reviewer's comment that "it is clear the author doesn't actually understand SQL. A table alias is not a 'row variable'". Perhaps Clare didn't make her point clear enough; but when you write a correlated subquery, as in

select ...
from ta outer
where exists
(select 1
from tb inner
where inner.id = outer.id)

"outer" (the table alias) in the subquery actually refers to the current row from the outer query. Perhaps an unusual way to introduce the topic; but I have always believed that the goal of a book should be to intellectually challenge the reader and bring him or her to see the topic in a different light.

All this being said, I'm not convinced by some aspects of the book. For one thing, if the author actually starts from the "novice" stage, she doesn't really bring the reader to the "professional" stage in my humble opinion; the coverage of topics like indexing is light, and none of the examples is even remotely as complex as what I routinely encounter. This makes the introduction (fortunately discrete) of formal notations look like an overkill with no real added value. Better to concentrate on the figures, which are extremely clear.

If you just wish to make some quick and dirty SQL job, "Beginning SQL Queries" is probably not a book for you - I guess that any tutorial on the web and a bit of trial and error will get you started. You won't go very far, but sometimes you don't want to.
I rather see this book as a good bridge between college and the professional world - it combines the rigor of text books (although it doesn't theorize, all the key points from the theory are here) with the conversational tone of books that are aimed at the professional world; strictly correct without being dry. It will not turn you into a full-blown database professional, but if what you have seen - or not seen - at school is hazy and if you are serious about ensuring that you have sound foundations, reading "Beginning SQL Queries" is a good way to start.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Reccommended for SQL Newcomers, July 20, 2011

By 

Omega Red 5 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning SQL Queries: From Novice to Professional (Books for Professionals by Professionals) (Paperback)

As somebody new to databases, I found this book to be a fantastic read, essential for any new comer. The book systematically educates the reader in a way that is palatable and enjoyable. My confidence level has risen immensely and I would recommend this book to anybody seeking to become proficient in SQL whilst avoiding unnecessary technical jargon. This is a resource that you will enjoy referencing again and again.