Book Description
This thorough, hands-on reference for database developers and administrators delivers expert guidance on sophisticated uses of Transact-SQL (T-SQL)#151;one of the most familiar and powerful programming languages for SQL Server. Written by a T-SQL guru, this guide focuses on language features and how they are interpreted and processed by the SQL Server execution engine. You'll get in-depth coverage of the sophisticated uses of T-SQL, including triggers, user-defined functions, exception handling, and more. The book explains and compares solutions to database-development problems in both SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005, discussing the new T-SQL programming features added to SQL Server 2005 in detail. Includes extensive code samples, table examples, and logic puzzles to help database developers and administrators understand the intricacies and help promote mastery of T-SQL.
Customer Reviews:
Very little actual T-SQL.......2007-09-25
Book actually has very limited T-SQL. Mostly triggers, USP, functions, but little actual code.
Too clever by half.......2007-08-06
Please see review by C. Mialaret. S/he is spot on.
One gets the impression that the author may have been more focused on impressing you with his eruditeness, rather than writing a practical book with useful examples and clear explanations.
Affecianados of Kalen Delaney's 'Inside SQL Server 2000' will be disappointed.
Useful but COULD be much better. Needs major editorial intervention........2007-07-26
You should think of this book as of the second volume of the two-volume set on the 2005-Server SQL. If you get this one, you'll get the other one too; neither tome is self-sufficient; in fact there's a lot of explicit interdependence. This book, Programming, deals with slightly more esoteric features than the first tome, Querying -- although I can't say you must read the first entire volume before touching this one. Both books can be read at the same time (but see what I say about the target reader below).
So, real quick:
1. Target reader: someone with a good grasp of the 2000 Server wishing to learn the new stuff that came with the 2005 server (there's a lot: the 2005 product is _much_ better than the previous: covering new features is probably the only thing that's unequivocally good about this book). This is NOT your first, nor second, nor third book on SQL in general or MS SQL Server in particular. You must have a good grasp of the basics to be able to overcome this book. I say 'overcome' advisedly; more on it below.
2. Content: Data-type subtleties (datetime, xml, CLR user-defined types -- a lot of CLR in this volume); temporary tables, cursors, dynamic SQL, views, user-defined funcs, stored procs, triggers, a bit on transactions, exception handling, a bit on service broker.
3. Very clean technically: no technical errors (and while we're here: I found no typos either).
4. Depth vs breadth: the book is more extensive than deep, although on average it's (inevitably) more in-depth than the first volume. Some reviewers here say it's very deep or difficult -- and difficult is true, although not because of PhD anything. This, unfortunately, brings me to the next point:
5. Writing: ABHORRENT. (Both volumes, Querying, and Programming, in about the same degree). That's why it seems difficult, PhD and so on -- except this difficulty isn't due to, say, conceptual complexity of the subject matter. It's the authors' extreme inability to use the English language to explain things that makes reading this book such a chore. There is also conceptual muddle (unsurprisingly: people write as they think).
Now, experience taught me to forgive literary incapacity to a _technical_ author (to a degree; and I do take notice and, if possible, avoid him in the future). In cases like that I put the blame squarely on the publisher, especially if otherwise I know the publisher to be solid. I have a pile of books from Microsoft Press and I consider them a good publisher, so what's the matter?
Although (strangely) a bit better than the first volume, this book (Programming) is also strewn with unimaginable, fantastic garbage of every possible kind, from grating usage errors to a pervasive lack of unity, coherence, and logical connectedness on the page/paragraph level, to a frequent lack of the overall unity. When I bought this book and read it a bit I was so p-off I almost sent it back (I got as far as getting an RMA from Amazon). I did keep it though. Both of them, actually.
Do I recommend this book? It has been useful to me (especially the UDF section: there's a lot of new stuff, all very handy), so -- with great reservation, and only to the right reader -- yes, kinda. And please check out what else is available (there's tons of books on the 2005 server these days). The Programming book is part of the three-volume update and extension of the server-2000 version by Delaney. Delaney's server-2000 book was extremely useful and quite decently written. I wish they let her write the new version, even though it's now three books instead of one, and I suppose it's difficult for one person to do it all.
T-SQL Book at Its Best!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-23
This book has lots of sample code for developers to follow. I bought a book "Advanced Transact-SQL for SQL Server 2000" written by Itzik Ben-gan about five years and loved the book. This book did great job in the SQL Scripts where you might need to spent sometime read through it.
This book is a gem for SQL developers!!! Highly recommanded!!!
Excelent.......2007-05-07
This book is a must-have, even for those who uses other SQL Databases... Totally Amazing!
Book Description
Dive deep into the internals of query tuning and optimization in SQL Server 2005 with this comprehensive reference. Understanding the internals of SQL Server helps database developers and administrators to better create, access, and effectively process information from enterprise data. Written by experts on SQL Server, this volume from the Inside Microsoft SQL Server series of books focuses on query tuning and optimization. You'll take an in-depth look at the best ways to make queries more efficient and effective, while maximizing existing resources. Includes extensive code samples and table examples to help database developers and administrators understand the intricacies and help promote mastery of query tuning and optimization.
Amazon.com
To help you design Microsoft database servers that must achieve the best possible performance, Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000 has the details you need. For one thing, author Kalen Delaney (who used Ron Soukup's fantastic first edition as a starting point) explains how SQL Server 2000 works at a level that will interest all database administrators. She packs in the sort of minutiae that can make a real difference in the performance of especially large or complex data-storage structures, explaining what goes on inside the database management system (DBMS) when it's presented with various commands, and using that information to back up her abundant advice on the right way to design, build, and operate databases under SQL Server 2000.
Delaney makes extensive use of DBCC PAGE dumps to show what's going on in the databases that demonstrate concepts (incidentally, that utility is documented, as well as the others in the DBCC toolbox). In a typical section, DBCC PAGE is used to show how index pages work. There's careful attention to database structure at the byte level too, with conceptual diagrams that explain how pointers work and how strings of strings of bytes combine to represent stored data. It's the sort of detail you need if you'll be writing software for SQL Server 2000, or need to extract maximum performance from the DBMS itself. --David Wall
Topics covered: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 internals, especially data structures and the behavior of queries. Table design is emphasized, especially indexing decisions. Transact-SQL programming, including the use of cursors, gets lots of attention.
Product Description
Master the inner workings of today's premier relational database management system with this official guide to the SQL Server 2000 engine. Written by a renowned columnist in partnership with the product development team, this is the must-read book for any
Customer Reviews:
One big comprehensive book about SQL Server engine.......2006-09-05
This book is about SQL Server as of query and data access engine, not as of a whole product. It in fact covers the architecture of the SQL Server and its internals related to actually processing the data. This book indeed won't answer many practical HOW questions if any, instead it shows you the way SQL Server works on the inside so that you can apply this knowledge as you see fit.
It will tell you about data tables, indexes, constraints, locking, stored procedures, transactions, T-SQL language, cursors, full text indexes, deadlocks, query hints and so on. It won't tell you anything about how any of these are used in practice. Even the "Performance and Tuning" section wouldn't give a lot of practical advises.
Anyhow, this book is a great reading, if you are a experienced database developer, and by chance want to know
* how the data is stored inside the tables and indexes
* how the index pages are scanned when searching for data
* how memory manager handles its buffers
* how to read the SQL Server performance counters
* how a database is backed up and restored
* how different isolation levels affect locking
* how transactions can be shared between different connections
* how stored procedured, user-defined functions and triggers work
* how different types of cursors lock the records they traverse
* how to make your full text indexes work efficiently
* how to safely use text and image data
and so on. Do NOT read it, if you want to know
* how a particular table should be organized
* what indexes needs to be created in your case
* what's the right backup policy and how to set it up
* how to write any particular program in T-SQL
* anything with numbers in it, ex. performance evaluation
because it's not there. The book is about SQL Server internals. It's not a manual, not by any chance. It's on the theoretical side if you like. Upon reading this book I have actually said to myself "Hey, I know how it works ! I can tell !". Still I will have to answer different questions and come up with specific decisions in any of my future applications.
Although much of the information explained in this book I have already read somewhere else, this one book is worth many others. Why ? Because it's deep and extensive. Every topic is covered to its depth. This is probably the reason why this book has a mixed feeling to it after all. It feels like the amount of information the author had to cope with was so overwhelming that she had no time to add a plot to it.
Still, highly recommended reading for any SQL Server developer.
Best for SQL Server internals.......2006-07-21
The best book I've seen. I've been working on SQL Server since 1997. Great for a technically inclined DBA or developer.
Excellent Book by the master.......2005-09-26
I attended one of the seminars of the author and was thoroughly impressed by her knowledge on the matter and decided to buy her book. I am very pleased that I decided to do that. This is a very good book and a very good buy.
Decent Surface Overview.......2005-04-01
I've been scouring this book and found that the there is well written overview of SQL, much like a whitepaper. You'll learn about the types of backup/recovery or replication, but you won't learn the how.
Given the "Inside" in the title, I was hoping this was more in depth and perhaps presented the "HOW". I would recommend this for the sales force for SQL Server or general casual reading, but not for people that want to actually do stuff and need to learn that.
I did like the history of SQL Server section, which I think is invaluable being a history buff, but I thought that it was unnecessarily defensive about Microsoft's business practices. One has to assume that if we are using the product, we are not openly hostile at Microsoft.
Extremely useful and a pleasure to read........2004-12-09
What I love about this book is that it really shows you the full story of SQL Server, starting with a broad history of the product, and eventually delving down into the deep internals of the system.
I recently had to to deal with an old Sybase database, and found this book helpful, because Kalen's discussion of the internal storage and retrieval of data really applies across many database technologies. And of course, it has also proven invaluable for working with SQL Server too!
This book is directed to people who want to know what SQL Server can do and how to use it. No marketing hype here, just good solid material.
The only downside is the index, which for MS Press books, is in a too-large text, does not indent things well, and does not always group things in the most useful fashion. But this is not a fault of the author, and does not lessen the greateness of this book.
Book Description
The second edition of the best-selling
Inside Relational
Databases is revised and updated to bring you the most reader-friendly explanation of the relational model and its importance to database designers and builders.
Clear explanations make use of examples rather than equations to show you how an understanding of the relational model can make your databases faster, more flexible and thoroughly fit for their purpose.
Dr Mark Whitehorn has an extensive understanding of relational database theory and his popular and long running database column in the UK's "Personal Computer World" has already made database theory accessible to thousands.
Bill Marklyn has an intimate knowledge of relational databases and was the Development Manager who oversaw the entire design of the first two major releases of Microsoft's highly successful database product, Access.
Together they make a great team, illuminating a tricky subject with substance and style.
Reviews from the first edition of
Inside Relational
Databases:
"Quite simply - superb. By making relational databases understandable, Mark Whitehorn and Bill Marklyn have achieved far more than most. Making the subject interesting and entertaining as well puts these two authors firmly in a class of their own."
- Neil Fawcett, Group Technical Editor, VNU Business Publications
"PCW and Amazon.co.uk contributor Mark Whitehorn is that rare combination - an expert in his field, databases, and a fine writer too, with a talent for honing a complex subject down to its essentials."
- Tamsin Todd, Computer & Internet Editor, Amazon.co.uk
"
Inside Relational Databases is excellent. It is clearly and concisely written and full of humorous asides which ease the reader through an otherwise weighty topic. Probably the most engaging technical book I have read."
- Paul McGowan
Customer Reviews:
Explains relational databases in plain English.......2007-03-09
The authors of this book don't avoid the more difficult concepts in understanding relational databases but they do a great job of explaining things in simple English. This is a good book for anyone who finds themselves having to work with relational databases but haven't understood why they're built the way they are. I've never read anyone before who tackled E. F. Codd's writing (the "father" of relational databases) and translated it so well into readable English.
Very little substance ..........2007-01-25
I did not find this book very useful. I suppose I was looking for more of a book on Access and the application of relational databases. I should have picked up "Grover Park George ON ACCESS" and avoided this one.
However, even if I only had only wanted to learn the basics of relational databases, I should not have bought this book. It has about 25% of the substance that I would expect from a book of its length. The author explains every little thing over and over, and explains why he's explaining things, then provides more examples than necessary. To me, this book was an unfortunate waste of time.
Great Book!.......2005-09-30
This author is great. Makes for fun reading. Makes sense of databases whereas other books trying to explain databases cannot. I will buy all his books that deal with database now. Really helped me and I was completely clueless before this book, but CLUELESS NO MORE! Trust me, get it.
Understanding basic database concepts well.......2003-12-13
This book is excellent! At the time I read this book I had been working with Access, Sybase, & Oracle for 7 years. However all of my database knowledge was product-oriented and I did not have a really firm grasp of general database concepts and principles: primary & foreign keys, tables, joins, and other basic concepts were never explained thoroughly. Sure you can read about these concepts in the documentation for whatever database product you're using, but everyone glosses over these important basic concepts and assumes that "someone else covered it", when in fact no one has. This book changes all that. Although it is written for beginners, I suspect that even intermediate administrators and developers will get a lot out of this book; it's the kind of book where just when you think you already know the material, you come upon some nugget of information that clears up a concept you'd always had trouble understanding. That's what makes this book valuable. The fact that the author is british doesn't surprise me; I've noticed lately that when it comes to technical writing, English authors do an excellent job of covering the basics before going on to the more technical material, whereas American authors tend to focus more on writing books and articles that are product-specific. Now that Mark Whitehorn has covered the basics in this book, I hope he will consider writing an Oracle book.
Inside Relational Databases.......2003-11-17
This is for beginners and has little substance
beyond the obvious. If you're interested in database design,
don't buy this book. The introduction claims: "you shouldn't read this book if you're looking for a 'How to use Access' book". This is a misleading statement
Average customer rating:
- Fails to convince
- Excellent overview of database object models
- Not so good?
- excellent text
|
Inside the Database Object Model
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Object Databases
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ASIN: 0849318076 |
Book Description
Databases and database system design are in the midst of a major transition to object-oriented databases. Moving from relational database architecture to an object-oriented technology is the next logical step in database design.With the properties of encapsulation, abstraction, and polymorphism, object technology systems are moving toward a unified data model that reflects the real world far more effectively than previous modeling techniques. Object-oriented development emphasizes the benefits of modular and reusable computer code as well as the benefits of modeling real-world objects. A properly designed object-oriented model also promises to be maintenance-free - all changes to data attributes and behaviors become a database task, not a programming task. Furthermore, object-oriented databases will store data, the relationships between data, and the behavior of data. Once data behaviors are added into a database management system, these "intelligent" databases will dramatically change the development of database systems.Inside the Database Object Model shows how objects are added to commerical database systems, outlining why object-oriented development is best suited for dynamic, interactive environments. The book reflects the revolutionary change in database architecture, providing plenty of usable code and other illustrative material. The book explores how object technology is being incorporated into database management systems.Although virtually every major database vendor adds objects to their database engines, their approaches vastly differ. Inside the Database Object Model:oExplores the history and architecture of database system and the evolution of object technologyoExamines the differences between relational database approach and the approach to object technologyoDescribes how major vendors approach basic object constructs, including encapsulation, abstract data types, polymorphisms, and aggregate objectsoDescribes how inheritance can be used with database objectsoOutlines how to couple data with behavior using modelsoDemonstrates how C++ applications store data in a relational databaseoIdentifies how Oracle, the world's leading relational database, extends SQL to exist with objectsoEnables readers to design and implement real-world objects using object/relational technologyMajor database vendors, such as Oracle, Informix, Sybase, and IBM, are rapidly moving into object-oriented database design. This book helps you through the transition.
Customer Reviews:
Fails to convince.......2003-11-05
This book reads like a sales pitch, but whatever advantages OODBs have are not made any clearer in this book.
The book admits early on that an OODB is more brittle than a RDB, and then states that the advantage is that you can now "associate behavior" with objects in the database, but this has been possible with RDBs for awhile (admittedly not in any portable fashion). This is typical for the book. As is confusion between implementation and the underlying model. Additionally, explanations of concepts like "object" and "method" (and other terms) are rather fuzzy.
The book tries to create the appearance of balance, but it is so obviously trying to push objects that the clarity of thought and presentation suffer. In my view objects are obviously useful, but the theory for them is not worked out yet. Until then, they can fit neatly within a relational framework. Bluntly: a new database model is not required, just better implementations.
Verdict: Not Sold. Neither the argument, nor the book (I skimmed it at the local shop and saved myself the expense).
Excellent overview of database object models.......2000-10-25
I have been looking for some time for a text that explains all of the nuances of OO and how it applies to databases.
This book does a wonderful job in explaining how objects work with RDBMS, and it really helped me to understand the concepts of polymorphism.
I also enjoyed the section on impedance mismatches.
Not so good?.......2000-09-28
I find this book poorly written and inaccurate. Here's just one example of a confusion (page 48):
"A database object may have a different OID each time that it is loaded onto the heap (memory)... Each time an object is created, a unique OID (object identifier) is added to the OODBMS (object-oriented database management system) identifier table. When an application references an object via its OID, the OODBMS converts the OID into a virtual memory address. This means that the object can be found quickly regardless of where it is stored, i.e., local memory, a remote hard disk, or on a device in a networked system... An OID once assigned to an object by the system, lasts the lifetime of an object."
So does the OID change when the object is loaded from a hard drive into memory, or not? What is the "lifetime" of an object: its entire existence, or only so long as it hasn't been garbage collected from memory? I find the above highly confusing! And there are many more examples like it.
The text is also highly repetitive; the acronym "SQL" and its "translation" is introduced three times on pages 45-47, each time as if it has not been talked about before.
A good copy editor would have helped, too. The use of commas where semicolons would have been less confusing is just one example.
In sum, while there are gems in here, there's a lot of overburden.
excellent text.......1998-07-26
This is by far the best book that I have seen on the details of how objects are used in relational databases. The text is well-written and easy to understand, and it greatly assisted me in understanding objects. Overall, an excellent book
Average customer rating:
- Very good book for MS SQL Server 6.5 Architecture
- Awesome Book READ THIS COVER TO COVER
- Excellent coverage - great resource for MCSD exam
- Brilliant. Simply brilliant
- Excellent, and surprisingly fun to read
|
Inside Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 (Microsoft Programming Series)
Ron Soukup
Manufacturer: Microsoft Pr
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Binding: Paperback
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-
Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2005: T-SQL Querying (Solid Quality Learning)
ASIN: 1572313315 |
Book Description
The inside story from a true insider. The author is Microsoft s former general manager for the SQL Server product and current SQL team guru. That makes this the guide for those who develop for this important database tool. You start with a conceptual and architectural overview, then move into installation, SQL programming topics, Transact SQL, data replication, writing applications to SQL Server in C++ and Visual Basic(r), SQL Server database administration, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Very good book for MS SQL Server 6.5 Architecture.......1999-07-31
I read the book carefully and found the topics of SQL Server Architecture and Locking to be very important. Especially, the book has covered architecture part in great details, which no other books mentions about. I look forward to Ron Soukup's next book (may be Inside SQL Server 7.0)
Awesome Book READ THIS COVER TO COVER.......1999-07-22
This book was awesome. It takes a very very deep and granular look at SQL server. I just got a job as a SQL DBA and I wanted to know everything there was about SQL server. For three months I read this book on the bus to and from work, and now, when an issue comes up at work, i am AMAZED by how much I know. He also really prepares you with the transition to SQL 7, hinting at possible new features as he goes along. If you had only read this book, you would know more about SQL 7 than you think!
Only 2 negative comments: Very pro-microsoft and anti-competition. Oracle has GOT to do some things better than SQL Server, but you would never know that by reading this book. Also, this book is NOT A REFERENCE book. It is a story about SQL Server, and if you get to the end, you will be a kick-butt DBA.
Excellent coverage - great resource for MCSD exam.......1999-07-21
I used this book to study for the MCSD exam 70-127: Implementing a Database Design with SQL Server 6.5.
This book is excellent! It touches on EVERY aspect of SQL Server 6.5 that you want to know about, and is written in a very readable format. This is very important when the subject matter is technical. Let's face it - no-one relishes this stuff, so when a book such as this is written in a manner which MAKES you want to read on, that's a great thing!
Well done Mr Soukup.
Brilliant. Simply brilliant.......1999-04-24
This is a must-have for any *serious* SQL 6.5 DBA or developer. It is not the only book you must have, it does NOT explain how to use SQL Server (hence the bad review given by someone who had never used it). It explains, very clearly, how it works, and what happens under the bonnet. Reading it really gave me a very clear understanding of what goes on, which means I can use it better, more efficeintly etc. There is a great section on Query optimisation, which I've just started, but so far so good.
If you want to learn how to use SQL Server, get Wynkoop's "Using SQL Server 6.5 Special Edition", if you've got that or similar, and want to know more, get this one.
Excellent, and surprisingly fun to read.......1999-04-02
Only by really understanding how a sophisticated piece of software works can you get the most from it as a developer. This book provides so much information, you could almost use it write SQL Server for yourself! Ron Soukup also shows that technical literature does have room for personal comment and amusing anecdotes.
Well done Ron, I eagerly await 'Inside SQL Server 7.0'
Book Description
The first two editions of Inside Relational Databases have both been best sellers. These new editions will also cover the relational database model but will use different engines to illustrate the model. In doing so, readers will be able to apply the model using their preferred database engine. Initially three versions are planned starting with Access, SQL Server and my SQL.
The books show just how simple and useful databases can be. No prior knowledge is required i.e. real world examples show how to manage data efficiently.
A significant amount of new material is included in the core of the book and particular emphasis is given to showing how to make a database run faster and more efficiently.
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- JavaScript Bible, Fifth Edition
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