Product Description

Assuming neither database nor programming background, Beginning SQL Server 2005 Express for Developers introduces all the fundamental database administration and SQL programming features of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, the free relational database management system from Microsoft that provides a major subset of full SQL Server 2005 functionality. This book is a comprehensive guide that covers installing and configuring SQL Server 2005 Express; creating, backing up, and restoring databases; creating tables, then querying and manipulating them with T-SQL; coding stored procedures and triggers, and using Reporting Services to deliver information to end users. Detailed, clear, and highly readable, this book will make you a competent and confident database administrator and programmer. * This is the clearest and most comprehensive introduction to SQL Server 2005 Express. * The book assumes no prior experience with databases, SQL, or programming. * You’ll learn about both database administration and T-SQL programming. * The book covers SQL Server Management Studio and Reporting Services.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #375522 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

About the Author
Robin Dewson has been hooked on programming ever since he bought his first
computer, a Sinclair ZX80, in 1980. He has been working with SQL Server
since version 6.5 and Visual Basic since version 5. Robin is a consultant
mainly in the city of London, where he has been for nearly eight years.

Customer Reviews

An excellent introduction to SQLExpress.
I've just moved to C# .net from vb6, and was expecting to stay with Access.mdb looking after the data. Given the .net culture shock, I thought I may as well check out the free Microsoft SQLExpress as well. Within a couple of evenings this book convinced me SQLExpress is the way to go. Just wish I'd found it sooner.

The installation went smoothly, and the intro to SQL Server Management Studio Express, (SSMSE, the GUI), had me with a working set of related tables within an evening.

There are chapters on Design & Creation, Security, Defining Tables, Creating Indexes & Programming. Clear examples of T-SQL scripting are provided in all these areas, along with their SSMSE GUI equivalents. They were easy to follow and get things working.

There is much more in this book. I had no idea SQLExpress & SSMSE were such fully featured and powerful products, (I guess I just thought something free from Microsoft wasn't likely to be worth much). Now I expect to make extensive use of T-SQL, Views, Stored Procedures, and maybe Triggers. There is also material on performance, maintenance and reporting, which I'll look back on when I have the tables populated and ready for testing.

As to the subtitle "From Novice to Professional", I'm not sure I feel it moved me on to being an SQLExpress professional. That would be somewhat optimistic for a single 400+ page book, but this was a great place to start. I'd say it goes from novice to as far as being competent and well grounded. Come to think of it I've met a lot of professionals who are neither competent nor well grounded, so maybe it deserves the subtitle.

Overall a very well balanced introduction and foundation for me as a novice to SQLExpress.

Could have been good
The main problem is the book is crammed into about 430 pages, and the publishers decided to use a smaller than usual font to write it. I think they were avoiding printing a further 200 pages or so.
The small font can get very frustrating.

Second issue : I don't think the book is organised properly, you will lose track of main headers, sub headers. The book feels small and crammed.