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Beginning T-SQL (3rd ed.)
Kellenberger K., Shaw S., Apress, Berkeley, CA, 2014. 496 pp. Type: Book (978-1-484200-47-6)
Date Reviewed: Nov 20 2014

If you are interested in teaching yourself SQL, this 400-plus-page softcover book is a gem. It provides a complete walkthrough, from installing SQL Server Express free of charge and a working database, to working with SQL, to working with Azure and SQL Server in the cloud. The material presented is very readable, easy to follow, and provides the reader with a complete look at SQL. Once completed, the reader is capable of writing and testing fairly complex queries.

The book is divided into 18 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 lead the reader through installing SQL on a PC and provide some basic information on databases, tables, and data types. Little is said about normalization and schemas. Chapters 3 and 4 develop and use SELECT queries, mathematical operations, built-in functions, and sorting. These two chapters begin the presentation of SQL. Sample language is provided and exercises on each topic are included. In addition, the authors have provided solutions to the exercises. I tested several of their solutions and each was correctly executed. The remaining 13 SQL chapters follow the same format, as the authors present increasingly complex SQL material. Readers who complete each of the exercises will find that they have a good foundation in SQL coding and table manipulation.

Chapter 5 focuses on the full range of JOIN commands, while chapter 6 examines UNIONs, subqueries, and TABLE expressions. Particular attention is paid to performance in structuring the commands presented in these chapters. In chapter 8, the authors examine windowing functions, and in chapter 9 they consider queries with advanced WHERE clauses. Data manipulation is covered in chapter 10, and chapter 11 furthers the development of advanced queries.

Chapter 12 presents SQL programming logic commands, and chapter 13 introduces managing transactions. Table logic, including keys, is explored in chapter 14. Views and user-defined functions are considered in this chapter. Chapter 15 examines Extensible Markup Language (XML). Chapter 16 considers more advanced data types.

SQL cloud servers are examined and Azure is introduced in chapter 17. Information is provided about acquiring and using Azure. Chapter 18 invites the reader to consider other information sources on SQL. Though not comprehensive, it gives some direction to the reader. The index is reasonably good and an individual looking for SQL command information will find all of the command nuances nicely listed and easily found.

Any user of this SQL text will find that he or she can quickly move beyond being a beginner level using Kellenberger and Shaw’s step-by-step approach. Given it’s a third edition, the reader has a clean set of materials.

More reviews about this item: Amazon

Reviewer:  Robert M. Lynch Review #: CR142955 (1502-0125)
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