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Summary: Begin'ers + Mid Lvls Using SQL Svr 2K-- Get this book!!!
Review: Begin'ers + Mid Lvls Using SQL Svr 2K-- Get this book!!!
...Have experience with programming langs. like c++, java, vb, c# (and other procedural and OOP langs.)? Having trouble transitioning from procedural and OOP langs to set/list based T-SQL? Get this book.
This book is great. Plenty of explanations of T-SQL concepts. The author is a good writter. Many thanks to the author and publisher for putting the entire book on the CDROM as a PDF file. Now I can take the book with me without the extra weight. I have it on my laptop. I will be studying for my 1st SQL exam in two months, but in the mean time I'm able to finish my DB project at work now.
I bought it because I wanted to be able to write stored proc's., user defined functions, sub-queries, DTS packages, and learn how to schedule jobs in SQL Server. Also I needed some well explained examples of creative uses of select statements and sub-queries. The author delivers. For example, turning a single column in a table into a comma separate value list (CSV list). Which is often used with look-up tables used to populate a drop-down list or multi-select list.
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DECLARE @strValue VARCHAR(30)
SET @strValue = ''
SELECT @strValue = @strValue + tbl_Cities.CityName ','
FROM tbl_Cities
Result is like... "New York City,Chicago,Miami,Dallas"
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There is another book that is recommended/hailed as the best T-SQL book, but this book will get you up and running fast and offers more than just T-SQL... plenty of SQL Server admin content and practice advice that is used in the real world.
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Summary: Casual writing style distracts me from getting the point
Review: Comparing with the other SQL Server 2000 books, this book does a poor job explaining the details of the database software and I found the writer's casual writing style very distracting from the point. If you are serious in learning this technology, I'd suggest Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming or Inside SQL Server 2000.
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Summary: Impressive Detail
Review: I am extremely impressed with "SQL Server Bible". I am a big fan of the Bible Series. They make excellent reference books. I am currently working toward the MCDBA and have been using a test-prep vendors materials to study. They provide good information, but much of it is not well explained. This book has given me a fresh, in-depth look into SQL Server. I am only about 3/4 of the way through it, but have found the answers to many of the questions I had. I have been maintaining 5 SQL Servers for several years and learned most of it "on the fly." I only wish I had purchased this book sooner. It contains many of the little shortcuts that could have saved me considerable misery. SQL Server Bible has helped me to understand the concepts and methods quite thoroughly.
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Summary: Casual writing style distracts me from getting the point
Review: I like this book and use it often. For the basic product, it is as good as Inside SQL Server.One area in which it could be better is depth. It makes the mistake of trying to cover too many topics. Many of them are simply glossed over. If you need good T-SQL advice, DTS info or replication recommendations, get another book or books in addition to this one. By and large though this is a book that you will find useful if you manage SQL Servers on a regular basis.
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Summary: Useful book
Review: I like this book and use it often. For the basic product, it is as good as Inside SQL Server. One area in which it could be better is depth. It makes the mistake of trying to cover too many topics. Many of them are simply glossed over. If you need good T-SQL advice, DTS info or replication recommendations, get another book or books in addition to this one. By and large though this is a book that you will find useful if you manage SQL Servers on a regular basis.
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Summary: Concise, Entertaining, and Comprehensive
Review: I've been using T-SQL professionally for over six years. SQL Server 2000 Bible has taught me more detail and depth about the tools that I use, and I enjoyed the author's style and humor. He made the concepts clear and understandable, great for the beginner or the experienced programmer. I reccomend this for anyone who wants to learn to take SQL Server to it's highest potential.
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Summary: One word...Outstanding
Review: If you are a developer that has a basic knowledge of SQL Server 2000 or a novice this book is the book for you. Each section is explained so easily you know how to do it with out even testing it out on the software. Very well written! I am only on page 137 and already I have doubled my knowledge about what SQL Server 2000 has to offer.
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Summary: Auto-fill forms with SQL Server2000 data ...
Review: If you have a multi-page Acrobat Form and want to automatically fill the form with SQL Server , optionally emailing/faxing it, PF-Merge will do that job for you, without programming. It also merges images! Thought I share the above freely downloadable treasure with my fellow Cyberfriends. PF-Merge supports over 20 database platforms and its utilities do not time-out.
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Summary: The definitive guide and reference
Review: Not for the beginners or those not wishing to know too much of the subject, but it isn't called "Bible" because it explains your children their first SELECT query.
This book explains simply everything there is to know about SQL Server, and does it thoroughly, in a well readable and understandable fashion. Organization and progression are clear, and it's easy to find all the information back.
The sections on ACID and how SQL Server implements transactional integrity are amongst the best I've seen on the subject, and once you thoroughly read them you really know to push the last few percent points of performance from your server.
If you use SQL Server in a serious way, this book must be on your desk.
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Summary: Developer Depth
Review: SQL Server 2000 Bible is a great book for a developer. I've been a SQL Server developer since 6.5 and, while I can't speak to the admin side this, this is the book that has the level of depth and detail to keep me interested - over 10,000 lines of code, not filled with foolish filler screen shots, and great developer ideas that other books don't even touch.
There's another review that says this book doesn't have enough depth, and in another review, the same reviewer praises The Guru's Guide to T-SQL for it's depth. But, the sample code listed in the Guru's Guide review IS IN SQL Server 2000 Bible on p.384. The Guru's Guide is a good book, but SQL Server 2000 Bible has T-SQL development details and ideas not mentioned in any other SQL book that I've found. The book has 60+ pages on joins and subqueries with techniques and ideas I've never heard of. The advenced T-SQL chapter alone is worth the price of the book. If you're a SQL Server developer, you need this book.
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