SQL and Relational Theory: How to Write Accurate SQL Code 1st Edition

by C. J. Date (Author)

16 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0596523060

ISBN-10: 0596523068

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Understanding SQL's underlying theory is the best way to guarantee that your SQL code is correct and your database schema is robust and maintainable. On the other hand, if you're not well versed in the theory, you can fall into several traps. In SQL and Relational Theory, author C.J. Date demonstrates how you can apply relational theory directly to your use of SQL. With numerous examples and clear explanations of the reasoning behind them, you'll learn how to deal with common SQL dilemmas, such as:

Should database access granted be through views instead of base tables?
Nulls in your database are causing you to get wrong answers. Why? What can you do about it?
Could you write an SQL query to find employees who have never been in the same department for more than six months at a time?
SQL supports "quantified comparisons," but they're better avoided. Why? How do you avoid them?
Constraints are crucially important, but most SQL products don't support them properly. What can you do to resolve this situation?

Database theory and practice have evolved since Edgar Codd originally defined the relational model back in 1969. Independent of any SQL products, SQL and Relational Theory draws on decades of research to present the most up-to-date treatment of the material available anywhere. Anyone with a modest to advanced background in SQL will benefit from the many insights in this book.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C.J. Date has a stature that is unique within the database industry. C.J. is a prolific writer, and is well-known for his best-selling textbook: An Introduction to Database Systems (Addison Wesley). C.J. is an exceptionally clear-thinking writer who can lay out principles and theory in a way easily understood by his audience.

Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (February 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0596523068
ISBN-13: 978-0596523060
Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
Average Customer Review: 16 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #921,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #135 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Software Design, Testing & Engineering > Structured Design
- #408 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases & Big Data > SQL
- #826 in Books > Textbooks > Computer Science > Database Storage & Design

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Kelly Jones

Leverage your current SQL skills to make the *theory* attainable and digestible

October 25, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

NOTE TO COMPARISON SHOPPERS:
The author himself (as stated in the Preface) intends for this book to REPLACE his earlier "Database in Depth" book. You need not buy both. Just buy THIS one.

I would give this book extra stars if I could!

This book has everything I could ask for:

>> the author has *deep* expertise on the topic,

>> the book *will* give you new insights on the topic,

>> the book is mostly self-contained
(meaning you aren't expected to have a particular training or math background -- all necessary fundamentals are covered in the book when they are needed).

You might think my three-bullet list (above) seems small and underwhelming. If so, then stop for a moment and try to remember the last time you read a technical book that really achieved perfection on all three points. (Then go write a raving review of THAT book, because it surely deserves it.)

I am usually happy with a book as long as it teaches me even ONE new idea that I think I'll carry with me throughout my career. This book has provided me with handfuls of insight that will certainly influence (and ease) my work for years to come. Furthermore, most of these insights are applicable far beyond the DBMS realm.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with a strong interest in SQL. Additionally, I wish I could *force* all DBMS *implementers* to read this book! That isn't to say that this book highlights ideas that aren't yet implemented -- that isn't true at all. I want implementers to read the book because they might enjoy their work more after reading this book, and I think they might be inspired to think more creatively about how to implement (and/or reimplement) parts of their DBMS, since this book highlights several ways that implementations are actually given much more freedom in implementing the relational model than perhaps has been taken advantage of.

I love this book. For 30 dollars it is a bargain. Buy it!

NOW FOR MY ONE CRITICISM:

I had to force myself to remain patient and good-natured as I read the first chapter, and certain parts of the first three chapters. Why? Answer: because the author is sometimes excessively wordy, and it seemed to me that we were "beating around the bush" for several paragraphs before just STATING SOME POINT OUTRIGHT. Sadly, (apologies for the cruelty), the word "windbag" crossed my mind more than once. HOWEVER! HOWEVER! It would have been too hasty of me to throw down the book in disgust at such an early point in my reading. And I am very, very glad that I did not. As you can tell by the maximum star rating that I chose -- and by everything I said above -- I love this book and am thrilled to have read (and re-read) it. Just beware that the author's verbose style might take some getting used to.

Keep the following in mind, as well: all the "extra wordiness" that initially annoyed me was later converted into a great asset in subsequent chapters that covered deeper and deeper material.

Criticism Conclusion:
It turns out that wordiness is in the eye of the beholder, and once I (the beholder) found myself in UNFAMILIAR topics, the wordiness was suddenly a thing of grace that eased me into the topic.

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robftw

Should be called "Relational Theory and What Is Wrong with SQL"(there is not much practical How To here folks)

January 30, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I was extremely disappointed by the author's lack of ability to actually write to sentient human beings. Sure, he can communicate and get his point across but it is at the cost of extreme drudgery. There are no anecdotes and there is no wit. You'll find nothing but dry dry analysis of relational databases. And even then, he goes on a ton of tangents and talks in a demeaning fashion towards the reader(as though he wrote in a relatable tone in the first place). He preaches for almost 10 pages about why you shouldn't use certain terms such as "row" and "table" and then afterwards casually flings them around in his extremely elaborate inductive(common sense) break downs that seem to last forever.
The reason this book deserves a two is because the title is completely misleading and this book is not very good at helping you to write "accurate" or functional code in the real world whatsoever. A lot of the things the author talks about are in fact common sense broken down into very complex sounding theory(if you've ever taken a statistical analysis class, you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about). For example, he will take an entire couple pages of your time just to illustrate that a row(which again, he says you should not use this term and then uses it over and over) contains a "relation" within it, so a row is actually a relation of values. I don't usually use this kind of expression but... "Duh!", you had me reading 30 minutes of pointing out the obvious to point this out? (take heed people, this will happen again and again. If you're into this kind of thing, god bless you)

In fact, the author even creates an imaginary language called Tutorial D, barely glosses over how SQL itself works and instead only brings it up to show why it's wrong when its wrong. He will pull out every SQL function and term in the book and then mention that "it's beyond this book's scope" and not explain it whatsoever after explaining every nook and cranny of his imaginary language. There are mentions of SQL functions everywhere but not too many "best practice" cases that do anything except make the database more "correct" towards mathematical ideas(vs real world application). I would highly recommend "The Art of SQL" as a much nicer read that you will not slodge through yet still pick up best practices and theory while learning to write better code. Really upset with myself for reading through the first half of this book and wasting my money(and no, I was not paid to say this; I'm simply a graduate student attempting to supplement traditional text-book learning with something more interesting and practical).

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Cliff

Excellent book

July 9, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It seems to me you coudn't get better information on database design and relational theory than from the person who developed the first really successful version of it. Don't expect an easy read however. It is very technical

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