Product Description

This latest edition of the best-selling implementation guide to the Structured Query Language teaches SQL fundamentals while providing practical solutions for critical business applications. The Practical SQL Handbook, Fourth Edition now includes expanded platform SQL coverage and extensive real-world examples based on feedback from actual SQL users.

The Practical SQL Handbook begins with a step-by-step introduction to SQL basics and examines the issues involved in designing SQL-based database applications. It fully explores SQL’s most popular implementations from industry leaders, Oracle, Microsoft, Sybase, and Informix.

Highlights include:

• Detailed coverage of SQL commands for creating databases, tables, and indexes, and for
• adding, changing, and deleting data
• Using the SELECT command to retrieve specific data
• Handling NULL values (missing information) in a relational database
• Joining tables, including self joins and outer joins (ANSI and WHERE-clause syntax)
• Working with nested queries (subqueries) to get data from multiple tables
• Creating views (virtual tables) to provide customized access to data
• Using SQL functions

A bonus CD-ROM contains a time-limited, full-feature version of the Sybase® Adaptive Server Anywhere™ software as well as the sample database, scripts, and examples included in the book.

The Practical SQL Handbook is the most complete reference available for day-to-day SQL implementations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #408572 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

From the Back Cover

This latest edition of the best-selling implementation guide to the Structured Query Language teaches SQL fundamentals while providing practical solutions for critical business applications. The Practical SQL Handbook, Fourth Edition now includes expanded platform SQL coverage and extensive real-world examples based on feedback from actual SQL users.

The Practical SQL Handbook begins with a step-by-step introduction to SQL basics and examines the issues involved in designing SQL-based database applications. It fully explores SQL’s most popular implementations from industry leaders, Oracle, Microsoft, Sybase, and Informix.

Highlights include:

• Detailed coverage of SQL commands for creating databases, tables, and indexes, and for
• adding, changing, and deleting data
• Using the SELECT command to retrieve specific data
• Handling NULL values (missing information) in a relational database
• Joining tables, including self joins and outer joins (ANSI and WHERE-clause syntax)
• Working with nested queries (subqueries) to get data from multiple tables
• Creating views (virtual tables) to provide customized access to data
• Using SQL functions

A bonus CD-ROM contains a time-limited, full-feature version of the Sybase® Adaptive Server Anywhere™ software as well as the sample database, scripts, and examples included in the book.

The Practical SQL Handbook is the most complete reference available for day-to-day SQL implementations.

About the Author

Judith S. Bowman has been a database professional since the early 1980s. She is currently an independent consultant specializing in SQL and relational database issues and is the author of Practical SQL: The Sequel (Addison-Wesley, 2001). Sandra L. Emerson is an independent consultant and former Vice President of Publishing Programs for Sybase. Marcy Darnovsky, teaches at colleges throughout the San Francisco Bay area. She was formerly at Sybase.

0201703092AB04062001

Customer Reviews

I loved the book - it gave me enormous practical help.
I needed an introduction to SQL and I found it 'par excellence' in this book. SQL is covered in great detail from its origins to its practical use in databases.

The example given were always clear, and accurate. The authors cover variants of SQL as implemented by several large database manufacturers. I didn't find that aspect to be useful to me because I am using MySQL which is not one of their specific cases.
However, I was able to use the examples in so far as MySQL itself complies with the standards.
Particularly appreciated although not strictly an SQL matter, was the chapter on designing databases which, in the spirit of the book, was entirely practical.

Since starting with databases, I have often struggled with syntax problems while constructing SQL queries. That's over now. I go directly to the relevant chapter and 'voila' there's the answer.
Last night, I forgot this lesson and spent some time fighting with a complex construct, unsuccesfully. Then I remembered this book. My problem was simplified by reading the sections on joins and subqueries and the recommendations for chosing between the two.

I never bothered with the CD (it's still in its envelope) because it didn't seem useful to set up a trial version of a Sybase Server which would fall over after 60 days. I'm afraid I'm more firmly anchored in the open source field and MySQL does what I need.

The final chapter on solving business problems covers some interesting cases and again is entirely practical.

This is a book which will be kept as a reference. You can dive into time and again for answers to database queries.

THE SQL Reference
This has to be THE most useful SQL reference I have found to date. From developing database solutions to writing teaching materials or helping students, this book has proven invaluable, time after time.

For the experimenter, it also comes with a CD, providing a full sybase SQL server environment, and saving a lot of typing, if you want to use (or modify) any of the authors' code.

Splendidly presented and indexed, with some great examples, if you only ever buy one SQL text, make it this one!