Beginning SQL Server 2005 for Developers - From Novice to Professional
Author: Robin Dewson
Published By: Apress
I have always found SQL Server, with its many Studios, Tools, Add-Ins, etc to be a vastly complex piece of software. And while I haven't been called on to create any serious applications with it (having always managed to duck under the wire and take the much easier MS Access route), I've always felt that I should have a better understanding. For sure, one day I'm going to need to use it, so it would be better to have an idea of how it works in advance of the day.
Many books have been written about SQL Server. I already have a few of them. Many of them claim to explain everything that a complete beginner needs to know to get to grips with the basics and beyond. Maybe I'm just a slow learner, or have a particular problem with SQL Server, but in my experience most of them fail to deliver on this promise.
It's usually the old "start line" problem. The author's start line of knowledge is way ahead of this reader's start line. As a result they assume that readers will have an understanding of all concepts behind this line. Sadly that often isn't the case and because minor but crucial pieces of information are not included, beginners often fall by the wayside before they've waded through the first two chapters.
So I have been searching for a book that would truly take a reader from zero to hero - and I'm talking about starting right from the point where you have taken the cellophane wrapping off the disc ready to install the software for the first time and moving from there through the key topics to a point where you can confidently tinker with the inner workings of the product.
With this book, I think I may at last have found it!
Chapter 1 gives an overview plus a walkthrough of installing SQL Server. Among other things, it clearly explains in layman's terms Accounts and Authentication Modes.
Chapter 2 introduces and shows you how to use the SQL Server Management Studio.
Chapter 3 is a mini primer on Dattabase design, then goes on to show how to create a SQL Server database.
Chapter 4 deals with Security in more depth than the brief intro that was offered back in Chapter 1.
Chapter 5 explains how to Define Tables.
Chapter 6 spends quite a lot of time discussing and demonstrating Indexes, then briefly covers database diagramming.
Chapter 7 covers database backup, recovery and maintenance.
Chapter 8 deals with how you work with the actual data, e.g. Select, Retrieve, Update, Delete, etc.
Chapter 9 demonstrates how to create Views.
Chapter 10 goes into the thorny but important topic of Stored Procedures.
Chapter 11 and 12 get deeper into T-SQL.
Chapter 13 is a fairly short chapter that covers the topic of Triggers.
Chapter 14 deals with SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.
There is also a useful and fairly comprehensive Glossary at the back of the book.
All the samples that I tried worked properly and all the explanations made sense. If you are an absolute beginner with SQL Server then I would recommend this book as an excellent start point of your learning curve.