Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming [Paperback]

Robin Dewson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590592522 | ISBN-13: 978-1590592526 | Publication Date: September 2, 2003 | Edition: Revised

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 provides enterprise-class database solutions, offering interactive development tools and complete management of your relational database applications.

In this book, you'll build a sample database with SQL Server and in the process learn how to design with solutions in mind. If you are migrating from a desktop solution such as Access to SQL Server, this book will provide you with clear and practical demonstrations of the relevant tasks at every stage in the process. Once you've mastered the basics of SQL Server, you'll move on to learn more advanced techniques. By the end of this book, you'll have a firm grasp of the most important SQL Server features and be able to develop your own effective database solutions.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Aimed at those starting out with SQL Server databases as programmers or administrators, Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming can put basic database skills in reach for readers of all levels. Packed with screen shots of how to use the relevant SQL Server tools and wizards, this book sets a high standard for accessibility for a tutorial text on Microsoft databases.

Most titles use screen shots to at least guide readers through installation of computer software and then turn to a more text-based presentation style later on. Not so with this text, which has several hundred screen shots used throughout showing SQL Server tools in action. After covering how to install and configure SQL Server (a trial edition is including on the accompanying CD), the author continues to show off tools like Enterprise Manager and Query Analyzer at work with plenty of step-by-step, hands-on tutorials with plentiful screen shots.

This book walks you through designing and creating a simple database (one that stores results for a golf league). In most every case, the author shows off using a tool alongside a more "manual" approach using SQL to get the job done. (For example, there's step-by-step coverage of how to create tables and indexes using Enterprise Manager, as well as how to do the same tasks using raw SQL in Query Analyzer.) Along the way, there is a solid tutorial to basic SQL for querying, inserting, updating, and deleting data, plus a good introduction to stored procedures and triggers. The strong sections on backing up and restoring databases are all you need to get started with basic database administration in SQL Server. Besides nuts-and-bolts DBA tasks, this book also offers a quick introduction to XML support available on the Microsoft database platform. The text closes with a handy listing of all T-SQL keywords, plus a guide to security options and settings available in SQL Server.

In all, this hands-on guide to database essentials can let you start effectively administering and programming with SQL Server regardless of your level of database experience. --Richard Dragan

Topics Covered:

• SQL Server 2000 versions explained
• Hardware requirements
• Installing SQL Server
• Database administration tools (including Enterprise Manager and Server Manager)
• Query Analyzer tutorial
• Basic database analysis and design (defining fields and normalization)
• Creating databases (including a sample database for golf league results)
• Creating tables (NULL values and SQL data types)
• Indexes (design hints, clustered, and nonclustered indexes)
• Referential integrity
• Foreign keys
• Table relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many joins)
• Database diagrams
• Backups and recovery (using wizards and generating SQL scripts)
• Automated maintenance and planning
• Basic T-SQL tutorial
• Inserting data (including image data)
• Retrieving data (including filters and string functions)
• Updating data (plus transactions)
• Deleting data (including truncating and dropping tables)
• Using views and stored procedures (including system variables and system stored procedures)
• XML basics
• Publishing XML data on the Web
• Using triggers
• Reference to T-SQL functions and security options

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming is designed for novice database programmers, or people familiar with a desktop solution such as Access, who are interested in learning how to develop solutions with Microsoft SQL Server. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 792 pages
• Publisher: Apress; Revised edition (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590592522
• ISBN-13: 978-1590592526
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,799,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in Symington in Lanarkshire where my mum and dad had a local post office and grocers. I went to school in the village being the only boy in my class for a number of years. Trust me, at 7 or so, it wasnt as cracked up as you may think. I then on to Biggar for my secondary education. I hated it like mad and was so glad when I could leave. Having gained sufficient qualifications and found interest in computers through the Sinclair ZX80 it was time to move on and thanks solely to my mother and father who trawled the papers looking for jobs and colleges, I ended up at Motherwell Technical College where I gained an SOND in Computer Data Processing. This was a one year course giving the basis of working with mainframes as well as programming them.
Having studied at Motherwell Technical College as it was then named, just across the road from Fir Park football ground home of Motherwell FC, including day release at Ravesncraig Steel woorks, I then moved to two years at the Scottish College of Textiles (S.C.O.T) in Galashiels. Although a textile college this was one of the best colleges for computing due to the small class sizes and the great facilities there. Again this was teaching programming on an IBM mainframe using COBOL. This was also where I met my first real computer game, Collossus Cave! An excellent adventure that kept most of the students engrossed for months! I also met some of the best people at this college, a few who I still keep in contact with. College is a great place to move in to adult hood

From S.C.O.T. I found my first job which was with Texas Instruments in Bedford. This is was a whole new set of thinking with working in a big organisation where you compiled your code on a mainframe in Dallas from your computer in England. It was hard work and I was so wet behind the ears at that time. I wish I knew then what I know now and it would have been such a more pleasant experience.

I stayed with Texas Instruments for just over a year having been under the wing of a big Brian Nicholson. I met some great people there as well but time moved on and I ended up in Hemel Hempstead with Atlas Copco. This was a bad move for me which soon became apparent for many reasons so just over a year later I ended up with Link Associates in Chesham, Bucks. A software house by trade, gave me great exposure and a confidence boost not only in work levels but in self motivation, all given by the great guiding hand of Val Dromgoole.

After just over 2 years it was time to break out on my own as a consultant. Being a consultant gives you the freedom of choice, the freedom to change jobs at will, the freedom to move around and the freedom of office politics. Well, when I say break out on my own and look for these freedoms, my first consultancy lasted just over 8 years with Save & Propser in Romford, Essex, England. Still on mainframes I used a Computer Associates product called Ideal, which was far from the name suggested. It was restrictive but did get me away from the mundane that COBOL had become in my life.

I then moved to FoxPro and FoxBase almost at the same time, using FoxPro to write a generic Fantasy game simulation and FoxBase to look after a postal football game I inherited called Sick Parrot. What a great game that was and at this present time play an internet based version found here.

I soon learned the restrictedness of having the programming language along side the database language and so moved in to Visual Basic (v5) and SQL Server (6.5). Very soon after version 7 of SQL Server came along so I moved straight to there and avoid some of the problems with 6.5 solutions.

Moving from this point I have moved through Visual Basic 6, ASP, SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2005, C#, Visual Basic .Net and now learning ASP.NET and Java.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for those not knowing SQL Server 2000, July 30, 2001

By 

Jack Shazman (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming (Paperback)

Bought this book as I know nothing about SQL Server 2000, or any database. Found it was written at an easy pace but great attention to detail which made everything real clear.

Found I was up and running in hours and enough in the book to get me far enough so I could do what I needed to do, quickly. However, dont be fooled. It didnt treat me as stupid! It also gave me a lot of info which makes me no longer a beginner. Also cool that it had an evaluation copy of SQL Server.

I dont normally like Wrox (too big!) but this might change my mind and swap over to them. Recommend it to those who know databases or not. Well done!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great beginners book!, July 10, 2001

By 

Robert Prentice (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming (Paperback)

Just moving across from Access to SQL Server and I found this a brilliant book. Starting from the installation, through creating a database onwards it covers every aspect.The best part is that the book covers the same area from every angle so I could choose which method from the choices SQL Server 2000 gives me, suits me best. I didnt know which book to buy on the shelves in the book store, but from just opening the book at random pages the author had a great style of writing.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't know SQL, then this is it!, August 20, 2001

By 

Webosubmit (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming (Paperback)

If you are a beginner, then this is for you! This book take you from the SQL installation to data manipulation in a professional style. Once you finish it, you can really claimed that you know SQL 2000. In addition, this book provide you a lot of useful resources, such as other books and websites, for you to extend the SQL knowledge.