Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server T-SQL in 10 Minutes (Sams Teach Yourself)
by Ben Forta
Link to Amazon
Short Review:
If T-SQL (Transact-Structured Query Language) is foreign tongue to you, after reading this book, you will speak T-SQL. This book is SQL Server version of best-selling book Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes. This book teaches what a SQL developer must know methodically, systematically, and exactly. Anybody who are new to SQL Server and wants to learn most of T-SQL which can be implemented in short time in their application – BUY this book immediately.
Detail Review:
This is the one book I was awaiting eagerly. I claim that I am very experience Database Administrator and Database Developer, however, I have learned something new from this book of acclaimed author Ben Forta.
This book is focused on T-SQL only. It begins with simple data retrieval and continues to develop complex topics. It addresses various topics that are enough to get some work done with SQL Server as well explains concept in depth. SQL Server 2005 is a very complex, feature rich product. This book does a wonderful job of explaining the various features with out going to too many details that majority of the users will not need anyway. This book covers all of the important aspects of SQL Server 2005 without clouding the information with tons of examples that are not for every user.
Author has divided the book into short comprehensible chapters along with to the point examples and explanations of the concepts. If you see “Table of Contents” of this book, you will find that this book covers many areas. I will talk about few of my personal favorite chapters of this book here to demonstrate, what this book does is best at.
Chapter 5: Sorting Retrieved Data
If you want to sort in descending order on multiple columns, be sure each column has its own DESC keyword.
When you are sorting textual data, is A the same as a? And does a come before B or after Z? In dictionary sort order, A is treated the same as a. If you need an alternate sort order, you can not accomplish it with a simple ORDER BY clause.
It is not required, and it is perfectly legal to sort data by a column that is not retrieved.
Chapter 10: Using Data Manipulation Functions
It is far safer to always use a full four digit year so that SQL Server does not have to make any assumptions for you.
When comparing dates, always use DATEDIFF(), and do not make assumptions about how dates are stored.
Chapter 15: Creating Advanced Joins
It is worth noting that table aliases are only used during query execution. Unlike column aliases, table aliases are never returned to the client.
Self joins are often used to replace statements using subqueries that retrieve data from the same table as the outer statement. Sometimes these joins execute far more quickly than do subqueries.
Chapter 22: Programming with T-SQL
This is my most favorite chapter. Experienced programmers will find this chapter most interesting.
To discover the secret of SQL, this is the book you need to read, extremely well written, easy to follow and most importantly to the point. This has got to be the smallest SQL book in existence with highest amount of quality content. A really MUST have book.
Rating: 5 stars
In Summary, A MUST read.
Reference : Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)
2 Comments. Leave new
The DATENAME syntax on page 84 is wrong and yields incorrect results (a weekday of 5 should yield Thursday, not Saturday).
The correct syntax is:
DATENAME(weekday, order_date) as Weekday