Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2005 T-SQL Querying
Could this be the definitive guide to SQL Server 2005 SQL?
| Product | Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2005 T-SQL Querying |
|---|---|
| Company | Microsoft Press |
| Web | www.microsoft.com/mspress |
| Price | £30.99 |
| We like | Thorough, in-depth coverage |
| We don't like | Hard going in places |
| Rating | |
| Requirements |
There are plenty of books around that cover SQL Server 2005, the latest version of Microsoft's successful database. However, most cover either development or system administration. There are few that are aimed at covering its particular brand of SQL called T-SQL. This title aims to fill that hole in the marketplace.
I have to say, right from the start this proved to be one of the most demanding books I have ever read. It jumps straight in examples that make you think. Maybe I'm just rubbish at SQL but by page 30 I was finding I had to really study the listings to understand what they did. However, the information in this book is pure gold, the author digs deeply in to SQL Server and provides information far beyond the Online Help that comes with SQL Server 2005.
A quick skim through the table of contents shows logical query processing, physical query processing, query tuning, ranking, table expressions and sub queries, joins, pivot tables, data modification, graphs, trees, recursive queries and finally a rather bizarre appendix of logic puzzles.
Each section contains vast amounts of solid information, copious examples and screen shots. The sections covering physical query processing and query tuning are particularly good. Most books just tell you how to write SQL, here you can find out exactly how SQL Server 2005 processes your queries. Understanding this in depth and knowing how to use the tools available in SQL Server 2005 to study the query plans, is the key to writing better quality SQL that works faster and has less cost in terms of system resources.
More thought provoking were the sections covering recursion and trees. I've never used SQL Server in that way before and found the ideas there interesting albeit hard work.
This probably isn't s book you could dip in to to begin with, it really needs reading from start to finish to get the most from it. However, by the end, you'll know pretty much everything there is to know about T-SQL and how to get the best results with it.
Conclusion
This isn't an easy read but for any developer of administrator who is serious about getting the best from SQL Server, this is an essential guide to the inner workings of T-SQL and how SQL Server 2005 processes the requests. It would also be useful to users of older versions of SQL Server who want to see what new features are available and how to use them in real world examples. Best of all, the price is very reasonable for the level of coverage provided.
