Beginning SQL Programming (Programmer to Programmer) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ (Author), Brian Matsik (Author), Kevin Spencer (Author), Ian Herbert (Author), Sakhr Youness (Author), Julian Skinner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Structured Query Language (SQL)--a standard language for working with databases--is so flexible, yet so concise, it's hard not to consider it perfectly evolved. It's even harder to justify not taking the time to learn SQL, considering that scores of technologies and hundreds of manufacturers support it, and are likely to do so for some time. An investment in learning SQL is almost certain to pay off. Beginning SQL drills critical SQL concepts and techniques (like simple data extractions and insertions) into its readers' brains, and backs up that got-to-memorize knowledge with easily accessible information on less commonly used techniques (like stored procedures and complicated joins).

The authors' emphasis falls on ANSI-standard SQL (mostly SQL-92) rather than on any particular publisher's implementation (and extension) of it, though they do use Microsoft SQL Server 2000 in their examples (and include a time-limited copy of it on the companion CD-ROM). Like most books in this series, this volume exposes its subject with a combination of lecture-like prose (a discussion of NULLs, their meaning, and the design considerations associated with them is an example) and type-this-get-that examples. It's a helpful approach that lends itself to careful study as well as pressured hunts for quick answers. Readers may wish for information on specific database servers, or for information on integrating SQL queries into applications that don't involve Active Server Pages (ASP), but this book maintains its focus on SQL with overtones of Microsoft. --David Wall

Topics covered: Structured Query Language (SQL) for programmers, Web site developers, and others who need a solid familiarity with the language as part of their duties--as well as aspiring database administrators who want a place to start their in-depth study of SQL and database design. Sections deal with all standard SQL statements, as well as database design in terms of data types, value constraints, and joins. Calculations, stored functions, aggregate functions, and schemas all are touched upon.

Product Description

Structured Query Language is the industry standard for querying data held in relational databases. SQL can be used to create and alter the structure of databases, add new data, and access or modify existing data. Beginning SQL Programming begins by looking at what SQL is, then moves on to teach you the fundamentals of ANSI SQL, using the familiar Northwind database that comes with versions of Microsoft Access and SQL Server.

The book gives step-by-step instructions, alerts readers to common pitfalls, tricks and traps, and uses real-world examples, including two extensive case studies, to create a thorough tutorial. It will furnish readers with a firm grasp of SQL concepts that you can work with straight away, as well as provide solid foundations and challenging ideas with which you can later develop more advanced SQL techniques.

Included with this book is a 120-day evaluation enterprise edition of Microsoft's SQL Server 2000. An end user license agreement is contained in this licensed software.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 723 pages
• Publisher: Wrox Press (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861001800
• ISBN-13: 978-1861001801
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,295,724 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Appalling!!!, October 18, 2002

By	Mr. M. O'Sullivan "Mr M O'Sullivan" (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This has got to be the worst book on any computing subject ever published. The try it out sections and code snippets throughout the book are about 80% incorrect, honestly the level of errors and poor coding is disgraceful. Wrox books are normally of a very high quality but this one is absolutely terrible, I can't emphasised that enough. I begun this book with high enthusiasm for this subject but now my enthusiasm has totally diminished.

Apart from the appalling level of errors there is also a high level or repetition, which can only be down to poor communication among its authors. Then in other areas you'll find exceptional weak explanations or explanations lacking altogether.

The book skims over most of SQL, it doesn't cover it all by a long shot (as another reviewer has suggested). Also those who have praised this book must of read it like a novel, because if they really analysed and tested the code they would of realised most of it is incorrect. I just don't believe anyone who really examined this book could give it any praise, it really is awful.

Some of the try it out sections constantly use parts of SQL that aren't covered till later in the book, so you're pretty much left hanging, or jumping back and forward. Confusion reigns. You'll also find that the authors apply a style of SQL common to the DBMS they each use most often, so you end up with different types of SQL. This is all very well for an intermediate or advanced text but not in a book for beginners, as this just adds to the already overloaded confusion level.

The case study at the end of the book uses both ASP and VBScript so if you don't know those you can forget the case study. This is disappointing as case studies can really help your understanding of the language, and how it should be applied in the real world.

The errata page for the book on the Wrox website only includes about 9 errors (at the time of writing this). I've been told that they haven't got anyone to do these updates yet, this has been the case for sometime. So if you encounter trouble you'll have to find a forum and a helpful techie to help you through instead of Wrox support. This is very annoying and extremely disappointing consider the volume of errors. So prepare yourself for some major headaches.

If you complete this book you'll note yourself feeling numb and confused . You will have to buy another book to put all the wrongs in this book right in your mind, and believe me there are loads of wrongs to put right. This really is a very, very poor publication. DON'T BUY!!!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beginning to End SQL Programming, April 11, 2001

By	Kevin Spencer (Pell City, AL USA) - See all my reviews

I am one of the authors of this book, so of course my rating is going to be a little prejudiced. However, I must say that I'm very proud of this work, and after reading the complete work, I thought it should be called "Beginning to End SQL Programming." There isn't a single aspect of SQL that is not covered in this book. While it is designed to cover using SQL from the beginning, and written in a style that is easy for novices to understand, it covers more about the actual use of SQL than any other SQL book that I've seen. I actually use it as a reference myself!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Rubbish, November 22, 2002

By	Bab Tools (USA) - See all my reviews

It's difficult to know where to start with this book. Errors I suppose is the best place. There are so many errors in the examples in this book it is embarrassing, it would be laughable as well, but instead it is seriously annoying. It makes grasping the concepts almost impossible as you keep having to tinker with the code to get it to work, or seek other sources of information to find out how it should be done, which defeats the purpose of using this book altogether.

As another reviewer has mentioned, I don't believe the authors communicated much, if at all, when writing this book. It explains some concepts several times throughout the book, as if each author is taking a crack at it, and then other concepts are ignored completely.

Another really annoying thing about this book is that there isn't much hands on stuff, they just talk at you, rather than involve you. The 'try it out' sections typical of Wrox books are few and far between in this publication. There aren't any questions to test your knowledge at the end of each chapter either. I say again this book just 'talks at you'; it leaves you feeling quite numb.

It's odd that for a manual of over 700 pages you will feel as if you have learnt very little. Anything of real value, that would help you in the real world of development, has been left out. Sometimes it mentions some feature that would be of real value and then the words 'but we won't be covering that in this book' appear. This happens again and again to the point of insanity.

The only thing I have learnt from this book is that I will have to buy another book to learn SQL, but it won't be a Wrox publication this time, Wrox are beginning to fall in my estimation. I really don't know what Wrox and the authors were thinking when they released this, it really is terrible. You know you really get the feeling that Wrox are getting you to do their proof reading for them!