SQLAuthority News – Book Review – Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for Developers

Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for Developers (Murach: Training & Reference) (Paperback)
by Bryan Syverson, Joel Murach

Link to Amazon

Short Summary: Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for developers is an ideal book for all developers, and particularly, it is an excellent book for training and reference. If you are new to SQL, no problem! This book is the best reading material to start with.

Long Summary:
SQL Server has emerged as the leading database and nowadays there are a number of books available on this subject. However, it is important to select the right book to imbibe proper, thorough understanding. Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for Developers is an upgrade from an earlier version that was written for SQL Server 2005. As the title clearly suggests, this book deals with SQL Server skills that are very useful for application developers.  It primarily focuses on 2008 edition of Microsoft’s SQL Server and introduces you to the new features added to SQL Server 2008. This book is a great training resource for developers who are just starting out using Microsoft SQL Server. But this book is equally useful for experienced developers as it provides comprehensive information on SQL, which even they are not even aware of.

In sharp contrast to the usual database or SQL Server books, the first 8 chapters of this book provide information on how to use the Select, Insert, Update, and Delete statements with the Management Studio to work with an existing database. This information develops good understanding of learners regarding how a database works. In section3, the three chapters illustrate how to design and implement a new database using either SQL statements or the Management Studio. Further, in section 4 you can learn how to use advanced features such as views, stored procedures, functions, triggers, cursors, transaction, locking, database security, XML integration, and the new FILESTREAM feature for handling BLOB data. Finally, section 5 contains three chapters on how to use SQL Server’s CLR integration feature to create database objection C# or Visual Basic code.

This latest edition intends to make a developer’s job easier by appropriately covering 2008 features, helping them reach a higher level of competence and professionalism. The FILESTREAM storage feature is useful for working more proficiently with binary large objects (BLOBs) such as image, sound, and video files. The MERGE statement allows using a single statement to make multiple updates and insertions. The date, time, datetime2, and datetimeoffset data types provide better flexibility and accuracy for working with dates and times. The user-defined table type allows passing a table as a parameter to a stored procedure or a function. Also, the SPARSE attribute helps in working with NULL values more efficiently, and filtered indexes allows retrieving data more rapidly. Moreover, the code given in this book has been meticulously updated and tested against SQL Server 2008.

This book is an excellent technical reference for SQL Server 2008 and is characterized by a great format, making it thoroughly user friendly. It has Murach’s unique paired-pages layout style where each subject is given two pages of description. The left hand page is a technical description regarding what a particular function does, while the right hand page is an illustration of that feature being used; it shows the critical details, using syntax, code, screen shots, and how-to notes. This way, tutorial and reference formats have been presented in a single book, which makes it very convenient for both beginners and developers to focus on the information they need.

One drawback about this book is that it does not have answers to exercise questions. However, if you can get Instructors CD along with this book, you will find all the answers and other vital information. If you are new to SQL Server 2008, you must purchase this book.

Ratting: 5 Starts

Summary:
This book will not only introduce you to the new features but will also serve as an excellent reference guide. This book will become an integral and prized part of your collection!

Reference : Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)