Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours (3rd Edition) [Paperback]

Ryan Stephens (Author), Ron D. Plew (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0672324423 | ISBN-13: 978-0672324420 | Publication Date: August 22, 2002 | Edition: 3

A new edition of this title is available, ISBN-10: 0672330180 ISBN-13: 9780672330186

 

Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours, Third Edition presents the key features of SQL (Structured Query Language) in an easy to understand format with updated code examples, notes, diagrams, exercises, and quizzes. New material covers more information on transactions, constructs, embedded databases, and object-oriented programming. In this edition, the authors include examples based on a database like MySQL, a very popular open source database.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This hands on tutorial will provide readers with: Thorough explanation of database concepts, SQL and low level programming Complete code listings with output. These listings are followed with analysis that explains exactly what the listings are doing Real world examples that can be incorporated in other projects Fast results: Each chapter can be completed in one hour so the reader is productive almost immediately Beginning-to - Intermediate coverage of SQL, including SQL in an enterprise setting, on the Web and Intranet

- SQL (Standard Query Language) is the ANSI standard language that allows people to create, access, manipulate, and store information in a relational database management system

- SQL is the core element of databases from companies such as Oracle, Microsoft, Informix, etc.

- The SQL market is widespread; all database programmers, developers, and administrators use this language to manipulate data --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours, Third Edition presents the key features of SQL (Structured Query Language) in an easy to understand format with updated code examples, notes, diagrams, exercises, and quizzes. New material covers more information on transactions, constructs, embedded databases, and object-oriented programming. In this edition, the authors include examples based on a database like MySQL, a very popular open source database.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Sams; 3 edition (August 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672324423
• ISBN-13: 978-0672324420
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,860 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases > Relational Databases

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars ..., June 29, 2003

By 

Anaxamaxan "Anaxamaxan" (Eugene, OR, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

I came to this book with a very basic working knowledge of SQL, hoping to round out my knowledge of more complex operations and get a better grasp of transactional operations. I came away with little more than I started with.

The authors take such a broad approach, attempting to do the impossible - teach readers how to use ANSI-compliant SQL. Problem is, no RDBMS (Database platform) is truly ANSI-compliant. When it gets specific it's generally to show how MySQL does not do what Oracle does, yet for some strange reason they instruct the reader to use MySQL for exercises. Even funnier, something like 20% of the exercises cannot be done on MySQL, so they actually suggest that you get out a piece of paper and write them out! Why not just write a book called "Oracle SQL" and offer some comparisons with other implementations? The "see your implementation documentation for details" disclaimer occurs 2-3 times per chapter. So, why am I reading this again? Why not just read my RDBMS help files?

In the same vein, the data provided to learn with is exemplary of "toy" code, with tables of 5-10 records each. Most chapters consist of run-downs of the various functions, sometimes with good examples, often without.

The typos are rampant, with whole blocks of text sometimes being misplaced. Even the source data contains egregious errors. Obviously, this book was slammed out (in "24 hours" I bet), was not proofread, and forgotten. Third edition?!? Was the first edition just a bunch of garbled text??

I could go on, but in summary, don't bother. Buy something else. Anything else. Most likely either a book aimed at a particular implementation (e.g. MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, PostgresSQL etc), or one of the many books aimed at giving a working knowledge of SQL for web development (e.g. PHP and MySQL Web Development, etc). Good luck.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Teach yourself Oracle SQL in 24 Hours, June 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

It is not important how much you pay for a book,

It is important on what you spend your precious time.

This Book Lies! It lies in its title.
Title must be change to:
"Learn Oracle SQL in 24 Hours"
More than 90% of samples are for oracle.

Author only mentions that this SQL can be done in other implementations!!!

Bottom Line: DO NOT BUY THIS if you are trying to learn MS SQL
For sql server.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but too Oracle specific, June 12, 2000

By 

Stuart R. Ainsworth (Gainesville, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Enjoyed this book, and the lessons are very straight-forward, but the majority of the code supplied is pretty Oracle-specific. I had a devil of a time getting the code to work in a Microsoft environment (SQL Server or Access 97).

As a beginner, I actually found Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes by Ben Forta to be a better book. Forta provides notes on what will and won't work in what programs.

Overall, this book was helpful, and it will probably remain a useful reference edition. But if I were going to choose again, I'd get the 10 minute version first.