Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Weekend Crash Course

Rating:
Summary: Lives up to its promise
Review: Lives up to its promise: introduction ito MSSQL Server, no less, no more.
I moved from Oracle and was somehow confused by the "database", "filegroups" etc.
I've got my answers here (and from couple more titles, to be sure)
I neither had problems with instalation, nor with running the examples (save for one: the
chapter on cursor sports keyword DEALLOCATED, has to be - DEALLOCATE; had to check BOL on that)
The Transact-SQL examples could be better (I know PL/SQL, so I had some base here), but again
the book does not claim to teach T-SQL..
The code snippets sometime seem to be taken out of the contexts of bigger procedures, and
I had to figure out how to fit them in; the usp_FindFactorial example seems too complex for
the task it solves (it uses intermediate table to accumulate results
instead of calling itself recursively; should it then be a function?),
but my understanding is that the elegancy was sacrificed to cram in more techniques than requred.
My examples did run correctly, though
After I was through with the book, I had to buy an additional one on Transact-SQL
(IMHO: O'Reily's book Transact-SQL Programming did NOT live up to my expectattions
and the publisher's reputation; I used Sam's T-SQl in 21 days, and then Ken Henderson's book)
To sum up: if you are new to SQL server, and find yourself
somewhat overwhelmed by the Books-On-line style
(comes free with every MSSQL Server installation), get this book
NB: better download new installation from microsoft site; the one included with the book does not have latest security patches)


Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time here
Review: The book offers to show you all sorts of querys, stored procedures, rules, and in general the T-SQL language. However, No one ever proof read the book to see if the formulas worked. I've spent so much time "De-bugging the examples" I tossed the book out. Makes you wonder what the other reviewers were looking at. What a waste!

Rating:
Summary: Great book for beginners! Covers good topics Concisely!
Review: This book ideal for:
1) Those who do not know SQL at all.
2) Those who knows SQL little but want to learn more but quick and easy way.
3) Those who do want to know what SQL can do can not do.

This book is highly recommended. It teaches you quickly and easily. This book do not claim that they will make you mater in two days but they do teach you everything they can and quick and easy way. This book does provide some good references and covers all the quick points about SQL. I have really read this book in weekend and I learn myself from the point where this books ends.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: This book is super easy and super informative. It was a pleasure reading it.

Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY!!!
Review: This book was no help to me whatsoever. I spent 6 hours with this book and could not even get MS SQL Server 2000 installed. But, with "Sam's Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server 2000 in 21 days", I was up, running and upsizing databases from Access in less than 1 1/2 hours. In addition, the cd that came with the book that had a 120 day free trial version required a 25 character id/password, which was not supplied by the book. Which not only made the cd useless, but forced me to track down a program to clear my registry(try RegClean) so that I could actually install the 120 day free trial version that I downloaded from www.microsoft.com

Rating:
Summary: I am not afraid anymore :)
Review: Two thumbs up. My SQL Server is up and running; now I have time to explore things I really need (yes, I had to buy more books)
I've read many books that'd done a good job to scare me away from the subject ; this one hides the complexity until one's ready for it.

Rating:
Summary: Microsoft approach on Microsoft product
Review: useful ground-zero stuff for dummies junkies and housewives you could jump-start from here to IT steering committee

Rating:
Summary: Good start
Review: Very useful book. Definitely helps to start.

Rating:
Summary: Errata for the book
Review: [T]Here is [a][web]site set up by the author to provide information on the errors, omissions, typos etc. found in the SQL Server 2000 Weekend Crash course. you may submit your findings to be included, as well as ask relevant questions.