The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Working from the assumption that the human brain learns by associating new data with what it already knows, we'll spend this chapter building a base..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Teaches that stored procedure development does not occur in a vacuum--it involves a wide variety of skills, subjects, and technologies--and helps the reader become a better software engineer, not just a stored procedure expert. The most complete coverage of SQL Server stored procedure programming available in one source. Softcover. CD-ROM included.

From the Back Cover

"This is a book that deserves a prominent place by anyone who aspires to be a real professional developer of SQL Server applications."

--from the Foreword by Ron Soukup

The message of this book is that building stored procedures in Transact-SQL is very much like building programs in any other language. It requires the same type of skill, planning, attention to detail, and overall grasp of technology that successful development in other languages requires. To master Transact-SQL, one must first master the fundamental concepts of software development, then build on this foundation by embracing and studying Transact-SQL as a programming language in its own right. This book teaches you how to do that and more.

More than just a catalog of coding tricks and syntax subtleties, The Guru's Guide to SQL Server(TM) Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML explores the philosophy of Transact-SQL programming. It teaches readers how to apply this philosophy in order to develop their own coding techniques and discover their own solutions to real-world programming problems. A follow-up to the widely acclaimed The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL, this book teaches that stored procedure development does not occur in a vacuum--it involves a wide variety of skills, subjects, and technologies--and helps the reader become a better software engineer, not just a stored procedure expert.

Blending theoretical detail with practical application, this comprehensive reference begins with a foundational overview of SQL Server(TM) stored procedure programming. From there, the focus moves on to best practices and design considerations before progressing to advanced topics and a general philosophy of software craftsmanship. In all, this book provides the most complete coverage of SQL Server stored procedure programming available in one source.

Topics such as user-defined functions, views, triggers, extended procedures, error handling, OLE Automation, database design, and XML are covered in detail. The book spotlights undocumented language features and brings the first application of design patterns to the SQL language. The preview of .NET and a groundbreaking approach to adding arrays to Transact-SQL make for the most thorough and engaging read published to date on SQL Server programming.

The accompanying CD-ROM contains the book's source code. More than 700 SQL scripts, programming utilities, and extended procedures provide a veritable treasure trove of high-quality example code.

Theoretically sound, yet immensely practical, The Guru's Guide to SQL Server(TM) Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML provides developers with the tools they need to become expert stored procedure programmers and better software engineers.

0201700468B11262001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (January 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201700468
• ISBN-13: 978-0201700466
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #330,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #10 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Databases > XML & Databases
  #58 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > XML
  #92 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Databases > Relational Databases

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Henderson takes it to a new level, January 11, 2002

By	Donald Farris (Jersey City, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

I never thought I'd say this but this book is even better than the first Gurus Guide book! Henderson cuts loose and just writes. It feels like you've got the guru sitting right next to as you read.

As with his first book, Henderson runs a tight ship with this one. There's no fluff or other filler material. Instead, you just get the goods, and you get them by the boatload.

My fav things about this one are:

* Extended Proc coverage. I've always wondered how to build these. The coverage in this book is absolutely excellent. It could be a book unto itself.

* XML coverage. I've never seen a better cut-to-the-chase introduction to XML and the XML features in SQL Server. It's a wonderful, hands-on tutorial written by a master.

* Emphasis on treating transact-sql as a real language. Henderson stresses this over and over and he's right. This book is every bit as good as the high-end programming books that feature languages like C++ and Java.

* Essays on software engineering. These are some of the best technical writing I've ever read.

I don't think you could spend your money on a better SQL Server book.

DjF

110 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Ken Henderson SQL book, March 7, 2002

By	John Lennox (Hampton Falls, NH USA) - See all my reviews

I bought the first Guru's Guide -- The Guru's Guide to Transact SQL -- as a way to fine-tune my SQL skills when I began a new job as a SQL Server Admin / Developer. Nearly two years later, I still find myself reaching for that book for almost every unique SQL problem that I encounter, and I am rarely disappointed. When I saw that Henderson had written another SQL book, I expected another winner. I was not disappointed.

The coverage of stored procedures, user-defined functions, and XML was first-rate. And the relatively short chapter on .NET was loaded with reasons why every SQL Server developer should be embracing this new techology.

The Essays on Software Engineering were extremely well-written. The intermingling of personal experiences and reflection with the technical details of the topics was done just right. It added a certain amount of relevance to the section that made it feel less like a theoretical lecture and more like the sharing of information by a well-respected colleague. One who has obviously experienced these things and knows what he is talking about. On the surface, these essays may seem a bit out of place in a book about Stored Procedures and XML but, in fact, they fit very well with the overall theme of the book: SQL and Stored Procedure development is "real" software engineering and needs to be treated as such if you are going to be good at it.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For professional developers, May 28, 2004

By	Drew M. (US) - See all my reviews

It's funny that no one thought of this before but the book has a message that is unique and new...writing code for Sql Server has to be approached like writing code for any other platform: as an engineering discipline. I had never heard this preached until I red this book, but am now a firm beleiver in it.

I have Henderson's other book and this one is a nice follow-up. there is naturaly some overlap between this book and the TSql book but not much. this one gets into coding conventions and version control, extended procs, design patterns and of course SqlXml...things the first book doesn't talk about. I look at this book as the big brother to the first one. It's more serious and more for the professional developer as opposed to being more of a dictionary of solutions to difficult TSql problems.

I also really liked the undocumented TSql chapter. This was my favorite chapter in Henderson's last book and this version of it has some new tricks and secrets. Just knowing about these will make you a better DBA because you will have a better understanding of what is happening under the hood.