SQL Server 2005 T-SQL Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (A Problem - Solution Approach) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

<p>Need to brush up on specific SQL Server tasks, procedures, or Transact-SQL commands? Not finding what you need from SQL Server books online? Or perhaps you just want to familiarize yourself with the practical application of new T-SQL–related features. <i>SQL Server 2005 T-SQL Receipes: A Problem-Solution Approach</i> is an ideal book, whatever your level as a DBA or developer.</p>

<p>This "no-fluff" desk reference offers direct access to the information you need to get the job done. It covers basic T-SQL data manipulation, the use of stored procedures, triggers and UDFs, and advanced T-SQL techniques for database security and maintenance. It also provides hundreds of practical recipes that describe the utilities of features and functions, with a minimim of background theory.</p>

<p>Additionally, this book provides "how-to" answers to common SQL Server T-SQL questions, conceptual overviews, and highlights of new features introduced in SQL Server 2005. It also features concise T-SQL syntax examples, and you can use the book to prepare for a SQL Server-related job interview or certification test.</p>

About the Author

Joseph Sack is a database administration and developer consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since 1997, he has been developing and supporting SQL Server environments for clients in the financial services, IT consulting, manufacturing, and real estate industries. Sack received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota. He is the author of <i>SQL Server 2000 Fast Answers for DBAs and Developers</i> and a Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA).

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (December 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159059570X
• ISBN-13: 978-1590595701
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #295,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extensive coverage, lots of 2005 specific coverage, January 20, 2006

By	William Addington "William Addington" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sometimes we see books on a new version of software that haven't soaked in the new technology -- you can tell the book was written with a mindset stuck in the old version. Not true here. Joseph Sack goes provides numerous useful examples of how to use the new features of SQL Server 2005. If he missed one I have yet to find it.

Lost in the hoopla of CLR integration for example, is the new feature likely to fundamentally change how we approach SQL application architecture: the Service Broker. Joseph provides 15 separate "how it works" examples of using the service broker including "Enabling Transport Security", "Enabling Dialog Security", "Creating Routes and Remote Service Bindings" and "Event Notifications."

Since Amazon hasn't provided a Table of Contents, I'll give a high level one:
Chapter 1) Select (44 recipes)
Chapter 2) Insert, Update, Delete (14 recipes)
Chapter 3) Transactions, Locking, Blocking and Deadlocking (8 recipes)
Chapter 4) Tables (35 recipes)
Chapter 5) Indexes (16 recipes)
Chapter 6) Full-Text Search (14 recipes)
Chapter 7) Views (11 recipes)
Chapter 8) SQL Server Functions (56 recipes)
Chapter 9) Conditional Processing, Control-of-Flow and Cursors (8 recipes)
Chapter 10) Stored Procedures (12 recipes)
Chapter 11) User-Defined Functions and Types (12 recipes)
Chapter 12) Triggers (14 recipes)
Chapter 13) CLR Integration (10 recipes) (and a section on when and when NOT to use CLR integration assemblies)
Chapter 14) XML (8 recipes)
Chapter 15) Web Services (6 recipes)
Chapter 16) Error Handling (8 recipes)
Chapter 17) Principals (19 recipes - managing users and roles)
Chapter 18) Securables and Permissions (10 recipes)
Chapter 19) Encryption (20 recipes)
Chapter 20) Service Broker (15 recipes)
Chapter 21) Configuring and Viewing SQL Server Options (2 recipes)
Chapter 22) Creating and Configuring Databases (33 recipes)
Chapter 23) Database Integrity and Optimization (8 recipes)
Chapter 24) Maintaining Database Objects and Object Dependencies (4 recipes)
Chapter 25) Database Mirroring (10 recipes)
Chapter 26) Database Snapshots (3 recipes)
Chapter 27) Linked Servers and Distributed Queries (12 recipes)
Chapter 28) Performance Tuning (17 recipes)
Chapter 29) Backup and Recovery (18 recipes)

Highly Recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for quickly finding out how to do something, January 23, 2006

By	Adam Machanic "Data Dude" (Melrose, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book's "recipe" format makes it great for quickly figuring out how to do something. The examples are straight to the point--so don't expect really deep insights. Rather, this is the kind of book you'll want to keep on your desk for those times you might get stuck on a task. Flip to the right page and there you have it.

There's also a "how it works" section for every recipe that briefly describes what's going on. If you're in more of a cover-to-cover reading mode, that should help enhance the book's readability.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Limited coverage yet very handy, August 19, 2006

By	Craig Bolon "persistentreader" (Massachusetts, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sack's book is of unusually high quality for its publisher, Apress, in providing plainspoken and consistently organized descriptions of its topic. Despite limited coverage of SQL Server 2005, it has proven very handy. As of summer, 2006, it really has no competition in providing practical advice about using SQL Server 2005 other than the Books Online documents from Microsoft.

Sack's book has three practical limitations. It covers mainly data manipulation with less attention to data definition. In particular, it does not explain how to use the SQL Server Management Studio or the similar services imbedded in Visual Studio 2005, which have become the primary tools for data definition in many shops.

The book does not provide concise but full descriptions of many elements of T-SQL syntax. Instead it concentrates on "basic" or "simplified" syntax. For full descriptions one must often wade into Microsoft's Books Online documents.

Sack's book does not explain how to use ADO.NET classes to execute SQL Server commands. Today they have become the primary interface for many software applications, and they can present complex issues of their own.