SQL, Second Edition [Paperback]

Chris Fehily (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0321334175 | ISBN-13: 978-0321334176 | Edition: 2

As dynamic, database-driven Web sites become the standard, more and more nonprogrammers just like yourself are being forced to work with database information and create and edit database objects. With SQL and this task-based guide to it, you can do it too--no programming experience required!

After going over the relational database model and SQL syntax in the first few chapters, veteran author Chris Fehily launches into the tasks that will get you comfortable with SQL fast. In addition to explaining SQL basics, this updated reference covers the ANSI SQL:2003 standard and contains a wealth of brand-new information, including a new chapter on set operations and common tasks, well-placed optimization tips to make your queries run fast, sidebars on advanced topics, and added IBM DB2 coverage.

Best of all, the book's examples were tested on the latest versions of Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. On the companion Web site, you can download the SQL scripts and sample database for all these systems and put your knowledge to work immediately on a real database..

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Database management. It may sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be, even if you've never programmed before. SQL: Visual QuickStart Guide isn't an exhaustive guide to SQL written for aspiring programming experts. It's simply an invaluable resource for those who want a fast, easy way to harness information living in complex databases.

Because author Chris Fehily assumes no prior programming experience on your part (just a familiarity with your OS's file system), he spends the first few chapters laying out the basics, including clear explanations of the relational database model and SQL syntax. Then he jumps into step-by-step tasks designed to get you comfortable using SQL right away. You'll learn how to use SQL's most popular statements and commands to maintain, retrieve, and analyze database information, and to create and edit database objects. Each visually oriented task features the actual code and plenty of screenshots to keep you on track. Fehily takes a software-independent approach to teaching SQL, but includes tips for specific database software. You may not be a programming expert, but with SQL: VQS, who will be able to tell? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Chris Fehily is a writer and consultant living in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 2 edition (May 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321334175
• ISBN-13: 978-0321334176
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book helped get me a job, August 22, 2002

By 

Diane Yee (Belmont, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SQL (Paperback)

Recently I was "redeployed" - which is the word that my company uses for "laid off if you can't find another job (quick) within the company". I speed-read this book, like cramming for an exam, and applied for the junior database administrator position and got it! Later, the senior DBA told me that I got the job because I knew subtle things about SQL and relational databases that the other candidates didn't know (or got wrong). For example, the difference between a database and a DBMS, why SQL doesn't stand for "Structured Query Language", the difference between server and desktop DBMSes, what the "relational" in "relational database" refers to, the normal forms, and the difference between SQL syntax and semantics. Most of these things were in the first few chapters. Author! Author!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Start Your Queries Now!, February 15, 2003

By 

Bunny Bear (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SQL (Paperback)

Excellent book for learning SQL. This little books seems to pack a big punch in everything there is to know about SQL. There are around 200 to 300 sample queries, that start from the basics to nice fancy ones. You will learn about sub setting, functions, grouping, joins, sub queries, set operations, indexes, views, data definition language, and much more. For every topic you will get instructions on how its done in about the five most common SQL implementations.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Makes My Job Easier., September 4, 2002

By 

Melanie Pennington (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SQL (Paperback)

There are several "software-independent" SQL books available. I thumbed through a number before landing on this one. I believe I got real lucky.

I'm a research analyst at a large medical center. I pull data from various sources using SQL front-ends and stuff data into MS Access for analysis or additional manipulation. I needed an SQL reference for both parts of my job, understanding what I was getting from the hospital systems and writing better SQL in Access or imbeddded SQL in VBA code. This book serves my needs because it is a thorough reference and also because it has plenty of Access examples and tips.

I'm also impressed with the layout of the Visual QuickStart Guide. It is very easy to find the information you are after and the bullet points are generally right on target with the details important to the task at hand. I haven't had to read the entire book cover to cover to do some work, and that's the point. When the author does interject himself, his comments are insightful and meaningful. An example, "Although SELECT is powerful, it's not dangerous. You can't use it to add, change or delete data... The dangerous stuff starts in Chapter 9."

A great technical reference in a crowded field.