Transact-SQL Desk Reference: For Microsoft SQL Server [Paperback]

Deac Lancaster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0130293393 | ISBN-13: 978-0130293398 | Edition: 1

This command reference, designed for users of all levels, provides a user-friendly guide to the SQL database programming language. All commands will be listed alphabetically by functional area -- ideal for beginners who can locate commands based on the tasks they are trying to accomplish. In addition, the author has included a "roadmap" listing commands in alphabetical order at the front of the book that is ideal for more advanced users who know the command name and simply need to know a page number. Each command will include a hands-on example. The book reflects the new SQL standard, and should be one of the very first books on the market. Author includes extensive examples for Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server implementations. This 6x9 reference is the perfect companion to Bowman's Practical SQL Handbook and is design to fit on the busy Database Developer's desk.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This is the SQL reference you'll reach for first, every time!

If you're an SQL programmer, you can easily picture how useful a comprehensive, single-volume Transact-SQL command reference manual would be in streamlining your work. And if that book was rich in examples, was written with users of all levels of expertise in mind, and was even designed to fit comfortably on your desktop, you'd probably buy it right away, wouldn't you? Well, look no further—Transact-SQL Desk Reference, by noted programming instructor Deac Lancaster, is exactly the book you need.

As it turns out, Transact-SQL Desk Reference is just the book Deac himself was looking for. The problem was, no such book existed, so he saved programmers everywhere a lot of trouble and he wrote it himself! The book answers the question, "How exactly do I write a statement to do a particular job?" by providing the full syntax of each command along with examples showing each command in action. Then, to assist you in making your code more portable, Transact-SQL Desk Reference shows where Transact-SQL diverges from the ANSI SQL standard. The commands are arranged by functional area and are well indexed and cross-referenced, making it as easy as possible to find what you're looking for-even if you don't know the command's name. Inside, you'll find:

• SQL commands grouped logically by purpose and function, plus an index so you can jump right to the command
• Definitions that give the full syntax of each command, along with examples of each command in use plus tips on maximizing portability
• Additional chapters covering RDBMS concepts, details of Transact-SQL, and advanced SELECT queries!

This book is intended for programmers of all levels working with Microsoft SQL Server.

About the Author

DEAC LANCASTER has taught high-level programming courses at Sun Microsystems, Remedy Corporation, and University of California, Santa Cruz-extension for the past 13 years. He has over 20 years of computer programming experience.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (November 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130293393
• ISBN-13: 978-0130293398
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.9 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,434,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scott Hill, December 22, 2003

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Scott Hill (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transact-SQL Desk Reference: For Microsoft SQL Server (Paperback)

Excellent examples and clear explanations. 12/22/2003

This book is exactly what I was looking for, an extension of Books Online with extra clear examples and explanations. Books Online is often still my first reference because it is convenient and does an excellent job. But when I need a second source for more information I now turn to Transact-SQL Desk Reference. If I still don't find what I need then I have to go to user groups or other external sources, but so far that has only happened once.

The tutorial in the first chapter is a nice overview for those who need it, but an advanced user can skip past it and go straight to the reference material starting in Chapter 2. The index is excellent and so far has never failed to put me in the right place to find what I want. I particularly like the extra examples of how to use different features. And the explanation of how to do disk layout to help restorability and performance is well beyond what I expected in a reference book. I plan to use the layout presented as a starting point for configuring my production database.

It could be argued that the syntax definitions taken from Books Online could be omitted, though in some cases the book has a better explanation of some of the items. All in all, it is definitely worth the price.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Content - Not So Good Index, January 7, 2005

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Brian Dorman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Transact-SQL Desk Reference: For Microsoft SQL Server (Paperback)

This book is exactly what it's title says, it's a reference book. If you need brief descriptions and syntax for T-SQL statements and functions, this is a great book to have on your book shelf. However, the index is very weak. It is essentially an alphabetical listing of functions, so you need to know the name of a function to find it. For example, if you wanted to add an INDEX to a table, you would probably look under "I" for "INDEX.". But, you wouldn't find what you were looking for. You would need to look under "C" because the function is "CREATE INDEX." But, if you know what you are looking for, you'll find it in this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference, April 2, 2005

By 

S. Heath (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transact-SQL Desk Reference: For Microsoft SQL Server (Paperback)

The back of this book claims that "This is the SQL reference you'll reach for first!" and I can personally support their claim. It is easily the best organized SQL reference that I have encountered. It contains alphabetical listings of all SQL data types and their related functions, in-depth instruction on data definition (create, alter, drop, etc.) and comprehensive descriptions and examples of all data manipulation methods (insert, update, delete, etc.).

The only possible drawback of this book is that it is not, nor is it intended to be, an instruction manual for SQL. The book cuts right to the point, and only tells you exactly what you need to know. For beginners, this book would not be a good starting point, but for people with at least some exposure to SQL, this book will probably never leave your desk.