Who this book is for
I think it's fair to say that most programmers don't know enough about SQL and the database management system they're using. That's why they often code SQL statements that don't perform as efficiently as they ought to. That's why they aren't able to code some of the queries that they need for their applications. That's why they don't take advantage of all the features that SQL Server has to offer.
And that's why this book should be required reading for every application programmer who uses SQL Server. Beyond that, this is the right first book for anyone who wants to become a database administrator. Of course, if you want to become a DBA, you'll need to continue your study of SQL Server's advanced features after you finish this book.
What are the prerequisites for using this book?
Everything you need to know about databases and SQL is presented in this book. However, you'll get more out of chapter 19 (BLOBs) and section 5 (on CLR integration) if you have some programming experience with a .NET language like C# or Visual Basic.
What if you have an earlier edition of this book...
either Murach's SQL for SQL Server
or Murach's SQL Server 2005 for Developers?
If you have Murach's SQL for SQL Server, which covered SQL Server 2000, we highly recommend that you get the 2008 edition, as there are many new tools and SQL enhancements throughout the book that will help you every day.
If you have Murach's SQL Server 2005 for Developers, there are fewer changes, so getting the 2008 edition isn't as crucial. Still, if you want to learn the most important new features of SQL Server 2008, the 2008 edition will make it easy for you to master them. In addition, it will serve as an up-to-date SQL reference.
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