Customer Reviews

Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server 7 in 10 Minutes (Sams Teach Yourself...in 10 Minutes)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

SQL Server is a vast subject. I was sure a '10 Minute' book couldn't be worth anybody's time or money. But as it turns out, it's just because this book doesn't drown you in details, that it fills an urgent need for an approachable beginner's book.

This book gives you the framework and practical understanding so that when you move on to other more detailed tomes you'll know where those details fit in.

I'll be teaching both SQL Server 7 certification classes next semester and I intend to recommend this book to my students. It's a great place to start! (an the price ain't bad either ;-)

This book actually lives up to its name. It gives a fast and relatively painless explanation of SQL Server 7. It assumes very little knowledge of databases. At most, the prerequisites are a little knowledge of SQL or of a simple database like Access. Web developers will appreciate the broad, yet helpful approach on everything from table creation to stored procedures. This book teaches by giving concise and well designed examples of queries and code. It will explain topics like cursors, triggers, stored procedures, basic SQL, Transact SQL, and even a little ASP. It even addresses some speed, security, and design issues. Any RDBMS or SQL Server 7.0 neophyte needs this book by his side. I would recommend reading this book first, before you tackle any of the other volumes of SQL Server references online or otherwise.

After reading "Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL, Quick steps for fast results, in 10 Minutes," by Ben Forta, Mr. Robison's pales. The material in general is good, however the details are presented in a string of possible command parameters ... - making it difficult to follow for the novice.

I would suggest that the book be rewritten along the lines of Mr. Forta's approach.

Surprisingly, this is a very good book. I'm about halfway through it, and I've already gotten more than my money's worth. Think of this book as a primer to learning SQL Server. Instead of covering every topic in full depth, listing every possible option no matter how obscure, it covers the most useful ones with concise examples and explanations of what's happening each step of the way. A good example is the chapter on Active Server Pages. I had never created an Active Server Page. Yet, about 2 or 3 hours after starting the book, I had created my first one. And with the explanations given, it was easy for me to change some of the code and understand why it did, or didn't, work. If you've never used SQL Server before, want a good intro to it, and often start off your thoughts with the phrase, "I wonder what would happen if I change this...", then this will be a good book for you.

This is a great introductory book to Microsoft SQL Server 7 (and even SQL Server 2000). The 10 minute tag is a little unrealistic and smells of marketing. However, if you need a quick resource on writing SQL queries then this an excellent book. I use it as more of a quick reference than a learning tool.

CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK: What is SQL Server -- Understanding Databases -- Finding Information in the Database -- Adding and Changing Data -- Using Data in Microsoft Word -- Analyzing Numerical Data with Microsoft Excel -- Including SQL Server Data in Your Microsoft Access Database -- Simple Web Publishing -- Advanced Web Publishing -- An Interactive Web Application -- Improving Query Performance -- Analyzing Your Data with SQL -- More SQL: Defining Data -- Storing SQL in the Database -- Controlling How Changes Are Made -- Simplifying Common Queries -- Managing Databases the Easy Way -- Keeping Your Server Safe -- Monitoring Activity -- More Powerful Options for Moving Data

I needed a quick way to get exposed to the basics of SQL Server 7.0 due to the nature of my most recent job. Therefore I spent some time shopping, looking for the options that would allow me to achieve this.

Price was not my main concern, yet William Robinson's book from the '10 minutes' series by Sams, gave quick answers to most of my questions, in a very nicely structured way: in lessons you can digest 10 minutes at a time.

Major drawbacks: it refers too often to a Database you might not have installed in your machine (i.e. if you're reading the book at home in order to apply the acquired knowledge at work), PLUS there is an unnecessary sidetrack in lessons 4-8 (in my opinion). If you're using SQL Server, I don't think you'll be using it as much to interact with Word or Excel. Yet you can easily skip these lessons and the flow will not be affected significantly.

Overall, I give it 4.5 stars.

this is a very good book for someone who need to quickly learn the SQL without getting into the details of database design and administration. It is straigt forward and right to the point. A real page turner!

This product helped me pass the SQL Server 7 exams, some of the more difficult Microsoft exams, and I got certified. Right away, I'm going to confess that after going through all the trouble of getting certified, and it was a lot of trouble, I never worked with databases again. Changes in the economy favored my working in another direction as I am a CPA and a CISA, among other things.

Although this item helped me to get certified, I did not find that the materials were actually covered in the database administration or database design and implementation exams. This item was marketed well, leading me to believe that actual questions and answers from it would be included in the exam, but none were. Still, it was great although arduous preparation. I wouldn't do it again.

My only complaint, other than the promotion that didn't live up to the expectations it created, was that there were numerous errors in this product. As I studied using this item, I discovered errors, and this helped me to maintain a "professional skepticism" that allowed me to eventually answer problems on the exam using my own judgment. That's what pulled me through those tough exams. In defense of the authors, the actual Microsoft exams also had errors. That really knocked the stars from my eyes. I came to realize that passing exams and getting certified were not as important as I had originally believed.