Transact-SQL Programming [Paperback]

Lee Gould (Author), Andrew Zanevsky (Author), Kevin Kline (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

Transact-SQL is a procedural language used on both Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase SQL Server systems. It is a full-featured programming language that dramatically extends the power of SQL (Structured Query Language).

The language provides programmers with a broad range of features, including:

• A rich set of datatypes, including specialized types for identifiers, timestamps, images, and long text fields
• Local and global variables
• Fully programmable server objects like views, triggers, stored procedures, and batch command files
• Conditional processing
• Exception and error handling
• Full transaction control
• System stored procedures that reduce the complexity of many operations, like adding users or automatically generating HTML Web pages

In recent years, the versions of Transact-SQL have diverged on Microsoft and Sybase systems; the book explains the differences. It also contains up-to-the-minute information on the latest versions: Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.5 and 7.0 and Sybase version 11.5.

A brief table of contents follows:

PART I: The Basics: Programming in Transact-SQL

1. Introduction to Transact-SQL
2. Matching Business Rules
3. SQL Primer
4. Transact-SQL Fundamentals
5. Format and Style

PART II: The Building Blocks: Transact-SQL Language Elements

1. Datatypes and Variables
2. Conditional Processing
3. Row Processing with Cursors
4. Error Handling
5. Temporary Objects
6. Transactions and Logging

PART III: Functions and Extensions

1. Functions
2. CASE Expressions and Transact-SQL Extensions

PART IV: Programming Transact-SQL Objects

1. Stored Procedures and Modular Design
2. Triggers
3. Views
4. System and Extended Stored Procedures and BCP

PART V: Performance Tuning and Optimization

1. Transact-SQL Code Design
2. Code Maintenance in the SQL Server
3. Transact-SQL Optimization and Tuning
4. Debugging Transact-SQL Programs

PART VI: Appendixes

A. System Tables B. What's New for Transact-SQL in Microsoft SQL Server 7.0? C. BCP

The book comes with a CD-ROM containing an extensive set of examples from the book and complete programs that illustrate the power of the language.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kevin Kline is the Technical Strategy Manager for SQL Server Solutions at Quest Software, a leading provider of award winning tools for database management and application monitoring tools. Kevin is also a founding board member and former President of the international Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) and frequently contributes to database technology magazines, web sites, and discussion forums. Kevin's most popular book is SQL in a Nutshell published by O'Reilly Media. Kevin is also the author of monthly magazine columns for SQL Server Magazine and Database Trends & Applications. Kevin is a top rated speaker, appearing at international conferences like Microsoft TechEd, DevTeach, PASS, Microsoft IT Forum, and SQL Connections.

Lee Gould is a principal consultant with Sybase Professional Services in New York where she works mainly in the financial services industry on Wall Street. She has been working with SQL Server since 1992 and has been involved in the computer industry for over ten years. She has published numerous articles in Microsoft SQL Server Professional (Pinnacle Publishing) and presented on a variety of topics at the International Sybase User Group and Powersoft conferences. Lee was born in Liverpool, England. She grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she attended the University of Witwatersrand and received her bachelors of commerce in business information systems. Lee immigrated to America four years ago and is currently pursuing an MBA at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Lee lives in the suburb of North Brunswick, New Jersey, with her two cats, Lady and Paganini. She can often be seen running, cycling, swimming, and horseriding while she trains for marathons and ultra triathlon events. When not immersed in sport, Lee is an avid fan of classical music, good wine, the piano, science fiction and Terminator II. Her motto on life is "carpe diem," which she endeavors to follow regardless of where it leads her. Lee can be contacted at [e-mail].

Andrew Zanevsky, an independent consultant and founder and president of AZ Databases, Inc., has been working with SQL Server since 1992. He writes a monthly column "Super Administrator," for Microsoft SQL Server Professional (Pinnacle Publishing) and has published more than a hundred technical articles throughout his career. He immigrated to the United States from Minsk, Belarus in 1991. He started programming in 1982 and holds a degree from the Belarus State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (equivalent to an M.S. in computer science). Andrew lives in a suburb of Chicago with his wife Katrin, son Anthony, and stepdaughter Esther. Katrin is also a SQL Server consultant. They work on some projects together and can talk about Transact-SQL at dinner. Andrew's daughter Nikkie lives in New York, wants to be a writer, and has won numerous awards in art contests. Andrew was the president of the Great Lakes SQL Server Users Group in Chicago from 1994 through 1997. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 832 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; First edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565924010
• ISBN-13: 978-1565924017
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kevin Kline is Technical Strategy Manager for SQL Server Solutions at Quest Software, a leading provider of database management and application monitoring software. An IT professional since the 1980's and a Microsoft SQL Server MVP since 2004, Kevin is a founding board member of the international Professional Association for SQL Server, PASS (http://www.sqlpass.org), and served as president from 2002-2006.

In addition to book writing, Kevin writes monthly columns for SQL Server Magazine and Database Trends & Applications Magazine, and blogs frequently. Kevin is a top rated speaker, appearing at international conferences like Microsoft TechEd, the PASS Summit, Oracle Open World, Microsoft IT Forum, DevTeach, and DevConnections.

When he's not pulling his hair out over work, Kevin loves romance his wife, spend time with his four kids and three step-kids, and dig in his garden. Kevin plays Spanish guitar (badly), is active in his church, and is passionate about environmental, conservation, and business ethics issues.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A purist's T-SQL book., February 29, 2000

By 

Kevin Tsai "kekezinho" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Transact-SQL Programming (Paperback)

You'd think this book covers SQL Server 6.5, 7.0 and Sybase SQL Server that this is going to be patchy here and there, trying to cover one product here and another product there. You'd think SQL Server 7.0 is so much more advanced than SQL Server 6.5 that this book has to make so many compromises that it's only half good for either. And you'd probably think that this book has so few pages, this must only be an intro.

Not so on all three accounts. This book is to-the-point Transact-SQL. There's no filler material here. I've programmed in Transact-SQL for quite awhile, and the examples, along with the descriptions, help me produce clean code. SQL Server is sensitive to how code and indexes interact. The author stresses the synergistic design of indexes and code.

Here is what you do have to watch out for if you're considering this book:

*This book is clearly a T-SQL only book. For example, it does not dwell on the exact page size; 6.5 uses 2k pages, while 7.0 uses 8k pages. You must be aware of this when you code and design indexes. This book covers the concepts very well, but it is up to you to apply the concepts to your design.

*Certain exciting additions such as Linked Servers are not discussed. The book is a bit backwards on the inter-operability of SQL Server, since Linked Server offers remote queries in addition to the functionality of Remote Servers (Linked Server is not available in 6.5).

*Replication is also not discussed. SQL Server 7.0 has greatly improved on the replication capabilities over 6.5, both in ease and reliability. In all fairness, replication is an enterprise architecture issue more than a coding issue.

Like all thick products, SQL Server (and Sybase SQL Server) deserves more than one book on any developer's/DBA's desk. I really like this book as a coding guide, but would definitely supplement this with:

*Inside SQL Server 7.0: performance tuning and deep understanding of SQL Server under-the-hood. This book is hard core.

*Books Online: excellent coverage on Replication, DTC, disaster recovery. Although not nice to read, I've had a hard time finding this information elsewhere.

*Deploying SQL Server: high level deployment guide.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 6.5 or 7.0 - doesn't matter!, October 19, 1999

By 

Morris (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transact-SQL Programming (Paperback)

T-SQL hasn't changed so much in 7.0 that its users cannot get a lot of useful information out of this book. For 6.5 DBA's, it is a *MUST* have book, no matter what your skill level.

Don't let the people who whine about it being focussed more on 6.5 than 7.0 scare you away. These people are obviously not managing real database installations because most of the professional DBA's I know (me included) are still managing 6.5 servers and will be throughout most of next year.

Buy this book if you want to be a DBA worth your paycheck.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good, but very specific to 6.5, March 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Transact-SQL Programming (Paperback)

I liked this book, but SQL 7.0 is covered in an appendix. Moreover, many of the techniques shown are archaic and have been deprecated by Microsoft, even for SQL 6.5. For example, joins are often show using the old join syntax. I wouldn't have such a problem with this if this book didn't advertise itself as a SQL 7.0 book. It's definitely not a 7.0 book and if you buy it expecting that, you'll be disappointed. Another problem with the book is its failure to adequately distinguish between Sybase and Microsoft syntax. There are some important differences, as the products have diverged more with each new release. Some of the examples show code that works on Sybase, but not on Microsoft (or vice versa), without telling the reader. The book would have been better off focusing on one or the other.