Who this book is for
This book is the ideal book for developers who need
to work with a SQL Server database. It shows you how
to code the SQL statements you need for your applications.
It shows you how to code these statements so they run
efficiently. And it shows you how to take advantage
of the most useful advanced features that SQL Server
has to offer.
This book is also a good choice for anyone who wants
to learn standard SQL. In fact, 90% of what you learn
here can be transferred to another database management
system such as Oracle or DB2.
Finally, this is the right first book for anyone who
wants to become a database administrator. Although it
doesn't cover all the issues that DBAs have to deal
with, it gives you the solid foundation in SQL application
and database design that you need to build on.
What are the prerequisites for using
this book?
Although you will progress through this book more quickly
if you have some development experience, it's not required.
Everything you need to know about databases and SQL
is presented, so you can gain the SQL skills you need
using this book alone.
However, if you want to use C# or Visual Basic to write
database objects as described in chapters 19 through
21, you need to have some experience using C# or Visual
Basic to write ADO.NET code. To be specific, these chapters
assume you can understand the code that's shown in chapter
20 of our core C# book (Murach's C# 2005 or Murach's C# 2008)
or chapter 16 of our core VB book (Murach's
Visual Basic 2005 or Murach's
Visual Basic 2008).
What if you have the first edition,
Murach's SQL for SQL Server?
If you're using SQL Server 2005, I recommend getting
a copy of this new edition.
It's true that with a few exceptions, the SQL statements
presented in the first edition still work the same way.
But the 2005 release offers many enhancements and additions
to SQL that you'll want to know about. That includes
new data types for large values, a TRY...CATCH statement
for improved error handling, common table expressions
(CTEs), new statements for securing a database, and
enhanced XML integration.
Beyond that, the 2005 Management Studio makes it easier
to work with a SQL Server database. And the 2005 CLR
integration feature makes it possible to develop database
objects such as stored procedures using C# or Visual
Basic. Regardless of whether you decide to use this
feature, you're going to want to get the practical perspective
on it that this new edition provides.
In short, you'll find enhancements throughout the book,
and chapters 2 and 18-21 are completely new. And, of
course, this 2005 edition will pay for itself as an
up-to-date reference for you to use on the job.
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