Murach's SQL Server 2005 for Developers (Paperback)

by Bryan Syverson (Author), Joel Murach (Author)
Key Phrases: where invoicetotal, select invoicenumber, implicit outer join syntax, Management Studio, Visual Studio, Books Online (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you want to learn SQL, you've picked the right book. Unlike most SQL books, this one starts by showing you how to use SQL queries to extract and update the data in a database, because that's what every application developer needs to know first. Then, it shows how to design and implement a database, how to use server-side features like views, stored procedures, cursors, and transactions, and how to use the CLR integration feature (new in SQL Server 2005) to create database objects in a .NET language like C# or Visual Basic.

With this breadth of material, this book works well for application developers and SQL programmers, but it's also a great first book for DBAs-in-training.

From the Publisher

The SQL book that most developers don't even know they need - that's how I think of this book.

To be an effective application developer, you need to master SQL for the database you're going to be using. But many developers get by with the SQL they know, never realizing how much they're missing out on.

So this is first a book for developers who use Microsoft SQL Server as their DBMS (though it can help you if you want to master standard SQL, too). No matter how much SQL experience you have, you'll find new features that you haven't been taking advantage of.

In section 1, you'll learn the concepts and terms you need for working with any database. You'll also learn how to use the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Management Studio to work with queries and databases. At that point, you'll be prepared for rapid progress as you learn SQL.

In section 2, you'll learn all the skills for retrieving data from a database and for adding, updating, and deleting that data. These skills move from the simple to the complex so you won't have any trouble if you're a SQL novice. And they present skills like using outer joins, summary queries, and subqueries that will raise your SQL expertise if you do have SQL experience.

In section 3, you'll learn how to design a database and how to implement that design by using either SQL DDL (Data Definition Language) statements or the Management Studio. When you're done, you'll be able to design and implement your own databases. But even if you're never called upon to do that, this section will give you perspective that will make you a better SQL developer.

Section 4 presents the skills for working with database features like views, stored procedures, functions, triggers, cursors, transactions, and security. It also teaches you how to use the enhanced SQL features for working with XML data. These are the features that give a database management system much of its power and that give you an extra edge in your SQL skills.

To complete your SQL Server skills, section 5 shows you how to use the CLR integration feature that's new in SQL Server 2005. This feature allows you to create database objects like stored procedures and user-defined types using any .NET language, like C# or Visual Basic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 702 pages
• Publisher: Mike Murach & Associates; 2nd edition (December 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890774391
• ISBN-13: 978-1890774394
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,343 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Layout, February 6, 2007

By	Steven A. Smith (Kent, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

[...]

...Ok, so it's a book on SQL Server 2005, that's obvious. But why is it interesting compared to so many other such books? The main reason is that it is very approachable - there is not a lot of dense text, just simple explanations of how things work. This makes it a fairly quick read. The other feature this book has which separates it from the pack, which I LOVE is Murach's standard layout pattern with explanation on the left page and code samples and figures on the right page. This is an extremely easy to use format for technical how-to manuals, because the code and the explanation are always together, with no page-flipping required.

In reference to another reviewer's comment, this book does cover SQL quite a bit. It is not about using the GUI or being an admin so much as how to actually work with SQL.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide to SQL Server for Developers (not DBAs), March 6, 2007

By	S. Waletzko (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Just like the name states, this book is a great window into the world of SQL Server database programming (and even design and some administration) targeting developers. This is especially useful today, when developers are asked to do more diverse tasks as part of their every day responsibilities.

The tone of the book and its organization and paired page layout are very conducive to learning at any level, and the topics covered are varied enough to ensure a well-rounded learning experience, regardless of the reader's background.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for SQL Server Newcomers..., February 23, 2007

By	Stephen Rosenbach (Arnold, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At the upper right of the cover of this worthy addition to Murach's line of programming books is emblazoned, "Training & Reference." That describes this new book exactly.

As a training and reference text, it succeeds very well; I recommend this book for anyone who is new at SQL Server and wants to come quickly up to speed with SQL Server 2005. And, as the cover implies, it's also useful as a reference book for more experience SQL Server types.

As usual with books from Murach, this one is well-written with good examples and free of fluff that pervades many books of this type.

The book follows the typical and very effective Murach style of a left-hand page of explanatory text on a specific concept and a right-hand page of code and/or illustration that is linked to the text on the facing page. I find this sort of presentation really helps me focus on the current topic. Also, eliminating the necessity of page-turning to find an accompanying example makes for a better learning experience.

I found a two or three minor nits to pick. For example, while the authors cover the TOP statement, including its new features in SQL Server 2005, there was no mention that you can now use a variable to specify the TOP amount. But taken in perspective, this sort of thing does not diminish this book as a valuable asset.

Bottom line: this is a well-written text coupled with Murach's tried-and-true unique layout. Especially if you're new to SQL Server, buy this book first. You may eventually want to get some more advanced books, but at 33 bucks from Amazon, this book is money well-spent.