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Troubleshooting SQL Server 2008 Script Wizard Problems
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Book Review – The Language of SQL
I mentioned this new title by Larry Rockoff a few weeks ago when I came across the book. Larry provided me with a copy so I could give you a quick review.
This book is written for people with little or no exposure to SQL. If you can read English, it works. Larry does a few things that make it a great tool for learning SQL.
- It doesn’t require a computer to follow. All SQL statements are followed with listings of the expected results. So, you don’t have to download any source code to understand the contents of the book.
- All of the examples are written in TSQL (Microsoft SQL Server Dialect). However, if Oracle or MySQL vary from the TSQL syntax it is provided as well. This makes the book useful for people working with different relational database vendors supporting the SQL dialect.
- Larry also takes a building approach. He begins with very basic statements in English, translates them to SQL. As each concept is understood, he expands on the new base of understanding.
The book is easy to follow, laid out nicely and logically with a great sequence of topics. He starts with Data Manipulation Language (DML), follows with Data Definition Language (DDL) and end the syntax segment of the book with Data Control Language (DCL). The flow is straightforward…Select, Insert, Delete, Update (DML). He covers a lot of ground in the Select statement which is the majority of the book:
- Select
- Calculations and Aliases
- Functions
- Sorting
- Column Logic
- Row Logic
- Set Logic
- Boolean Logic
- Comparisons
- Summarizations
- Inner Joins
- Outer Joins
- Self Joins
- Sub Queries
- Stored Procedures and Parameters
About a third of the book is dedicated to Data Definition for Tables, Views, etc. It’s not quite as extensive as the DML portion. However, I think the balance is excellent for an entry level book.
At the end of the book Larry provide a gold mine in just a few pages. He covers some of the consumers for SQL such as reporting, etc. He presents an introduction to advanced topics such as database design and normalization. He follows this with how to get started tips for Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL.
This will be a great book for people being introduced to SQL for the first time. I would consider using it for a classroom textbook as well; although it does not provide exercises or test questions.
Are you:
- A developer who needs to better understand the database with which you interact
- A business analyst needed to mine data from your database
- A report writer needed to access data more freely
- A Accidental DBA
- Building your Skills
- A Novice, wanting to learn database programming
This book is a great resource and well worth your time and money. It comes in an eBook too.
"The Language of SQL" by Larry Rockoff
Thanks for the gold, Larry.
Ben