Beginning SQL Server 2005 for Developers: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) [Paperback]

Robin Dewson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1590595882 | ISBN-13: 978-1590595886 | Edition: 2

SQL Server 2005 is the next generation of the SQL Server database. It is the number one relational database for the Windows platform and represents a great leap forward for SQL server developers in terms of programming options, productivity, database management, and analysis. So if you have some basic knowledge of relational databases, and are looking to start a development career using SQL Server, then this book is the ideal first step.

Assuming no prior knowledge of SQL Server, it teaches a database novice the core jobs and roles involved in developing for a SQL Server database for the SQL Server 2000 and 2005. It comes with a free CD containing an evaluation edition of SQL Server 2005 that you can install and then use to work through all of the tutorials, which cover:

- SQL for querying, inserting, updating, and deleting data

- How to build a complete databases, from fundamentals of relational database design, to creating tables, relationships, indexes, and so on

- Coverage of how to back up and restore databases to get you started with basic database administration in SQL Server

- How to program in T-SQL, SQL Server's implementation (and extension) of the SQL programming language

- Effective programming techniques using stored procedures and triggers

This book also provides practical advice, answers typical questions that you'll encounter from managers and DBAs, and offers practical steps to overcome issues with which beginners traditionally struggle. At every stage, it establishes a range of tried-and-tested practices and techniques that mark you out as a competent developer from the very start.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robin Dewson has been hooked on programming ever since he bought his first computer, a 1980 to buy his very first computer, a Sinclair ZX80, in 1980. His first main application of his own was a Visual FoxPro application that could be used to run a Fantasy League system

From there, realizing that the market place for Visual FoxPro in the United Kingdom was limited, decided to learn Visual Basic and SQL Server. Starting out with SQL Server 6.5 he soon moved to SQL Server 7 and Visual Basic 5 where he became involved in developing several applications for clients both in the UK and the US. From there he moved to SQL Server 2000 and Visual Basic 6 through to SQL Server Yukon and Visual Basic.Net. Robin is a consultant mainly in the City of London where he has been for nearly 8 years but also has been developing his own rugby related website as well as his own site at www.fat-belly.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 2 edition (February 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590595882
• ISBN-13: 978-1590595886
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,058,602 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

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quality book & up-to-date, well worth reading, March 8, 2006

By 

Mr. Henry Williams "digitalhen" (Jersey City, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning SQL Server 2005 for Developers: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) (Paperback)

I've been looking around for a book that covers the full & released version of SQL Server 2005 and this is the only one I've found so far. All of the other books appear to be based on beta versions. Something to keep in mind.

The author tackles the subject of the book in a detailed yet concise manner and this makes for an interesting read. I would definitely recommend this to people migrating to SQL Server, people new to the system, and people upgrading to the latest version.

As with any book, there are the odd few flaws in the book and some of the code can be hard to understand, but these are only small issues and certainly wouldn't devalue the book in my opinion.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book not to miss to explore SQL Server 2005, August 4, 2006

By 

Mohamed Benothmane "Book Addict" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning SQL Server 2005 for Developers: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) (Paperback)

With the first chapter, you will learn details and techniques how to install and configure SQL Server 2005 for different editions. The second chapter inroduces the new client tools to interact with SQL Server 2005.
To understand the concept and techniques of databases, the author walk you through a real world example to apply these concepts. This is a perfect way to relate what you lean to a practical complete project.
The book ends with the advanced features that were added to SQL Server 2005 compared to SQL 2000. There is also a detailed chapters about security configuration for the installation and post installation phases.
I will recommend this book for beginners and professional users as well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to SQL Server 2005!, June 17, 2006

By 

David E. Patrick (Jarrettsville, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning SQL Server 2005 for Developers: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) (Paperback)

This book is great for beginners to databases and to SQL Server 2005. It does a great job of introducing not only the main features of SQL Server 2005, but also the main concepts of database development and design.

The book includes information on all of the things a beginner needs to get start creating and using their own databases, including system requirements, installation tips, database design concepts and how to actually implement them using the tools found in SQL Server 2005.

Once a beginner has gotten over the install and set up of a database, this book also has great info on how to use the database. It's got good coverage of all the essentials, T-SQL, stored procedures, back up and restore, indexes, views, and it even has a section on Advanced T-SQL. There's even a chapter on Reporting Services that's nice, too. The only thing that may be considered missing is more information in SQL Server Integration Services, but then that could be considered an "advanced" topic.

Overall, this book does a great job of introducing SQL Server 2005 to its intended audience.