First Course in Database Systems, A [Hardcover]

Jeffrey D. Ullman (Author), Jennifer Widom (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0138613370 | ISBN-13: 978-0138613372 | Publication Date: April 2, 1997 | Edition: 1st

Giving comprehensive coverage of all aspects of SQL programming, this student-friendly text adopts a user-oriented approach. It covers the design of databases using both the E/R model and the OO standard ODL, and explains object-oriented and object-relational database programming. It also covers the OO standard OQL and object-oriented features of SQL3, and advanced database programming, including integrity constraints, assertions, triggers and recursion in SQL3.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Written by two well-known computer scientists, Jeffrey Ullman and Jennifer Widom of Stanford University, this concise introduction to Database Systems offers an accessible, user-oriented approach. It covers the latest database standards--OQL, ODL, SQL2, and SQL3--with detailed explanations of how to use ODL and E/R to design databases. The book also features excellent coverage of SQL with more depth than most other texts. The aim of this book is to cover the material most useful to the majority of database students -- databases from the point of view of the database designer, user, and application programmer. It focuses on database design, use, and implementation of database applications. It does not cover the implementation of database management systems. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduates and beginning MS or PhD students.

From the Back Cover

This concise introduction to Database Systems offers an accessible, user-oriented approach. Covers the latest database standards—OQL, ODL, SQL2, and SQL3—with detailed explanations of how to use ODL and E/R to design databases. The book also features excellent coverage of SQL with more depth than most other texts. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduates and beginning MS or PhD students.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 470 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (April 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0138613370
• ISBN-13: 978-0138613372
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,508,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent text for someone that is new to databases, September 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: First Course in Database Systems, A (2nd Edition) (GOAL Series) (Hardcover)

This was the text used for my first course in databases several years ago. It is written in plain english and I find that to be one of its primary strengths as it is geared towards people with no experience at all with databases.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource. Informative, helpful and readable, July 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: First Course in Database Systems, A (Hardcover)

This book, along with the online resources, has been a very valuable resource to me. This book is exactly what I have been looking for and was afraid did not exist. The book was quite readable and the examples helped explain some of the more difficult concepts. All in all, it made databases seem simple

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Mixed Review, March 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: First Course in Database Systems, A (Hardcover)

When I saw that Jeffrey Ullman had a new Database text out I was excited, since my work focus has now moved into that area. I have read and learned from many of Ullman's books, such as the famous Dragon (compiler design) book, as well as the "White" (automata) book and his two texts on computer algorithms. These are classics and should be on the bookshelf of everyone who calls him/herself a computer scientist.

This book is, however, a little disappointing. Most of it is good, some of it very good. But I do find some flaws in it. One of the glaring flaws deals with the attempt to extend the relational model from sets to bags (basically, to allow for duplicate tuples in relations.) This is the best attempt I've seen at formalizing "bag theory", but it introduces problems (some minor, others very serious) that aren't mentioned in the text. This review is too short and not the right place to expound on these problems. Chris Date's database text goes into most of them in substantial detail.

In summary, this book is good, with many good examples. I find it very readable. But it is not as good as Chris Date's Intro to Database Systems for the serious database professional. Ullman's book is good for showing another perspective to Date's solid (but somewhat opinionated) treatment of relational database theory.