Synopses & Reviews
When you need quick answers for working with SQL, why rummage around the Web when you can get advice from two-dozen experts in one concise reference? 97 Things Every SQL Developer Should Know provides short and extremely practical tips from some of the world's most experienced SQL developers. You'll learn how these pros deal with everything from architecture and database design to programming strategies and performance issues.
Exploit strengths and work around weaknesses in the operating system and database server. Learn how to efficiently design and code multi-user, high-throughput systems. Understand how to improve performance and maintainability, and more. This book is perfect for browsing, with its 97 tips grouped into sections that include:
- The basics, including what you need to know about locking and concurrency
- Hardware: Is Unix or Windows is better for databases, and why?
- Architecture, including 2-Phase commits and when they're needed
- Database design: Learn the difference between logical and physical modeling
- Programming strategies, such as how to use functions as data sources
- Administrative: Design a strategy for removing unwanted data, and more
- Tips for specific database products, including Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL
Synopsis
This pocket guide presents the most crucial information about SQL in a compact and easily accessible format, covering the four commonly used SQL variants--Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL. Topics include:
- Data manipulation statements (SELECT, DELETE, INSERT, UPDATE, MERGE) and transaction control statements (START TRANSACTION, SAVEPOINT, COMMIT, ROLLBACK).
- Common SQL functions (date, numeric, math, trigonometric, string, conversion, aggregate)
- Such topics as literals, NULLs, CASE expressions, datatype conversion, regular expressions, grouping and summarizing data, joining tables, and writing queries (hierarchical, recursive, union, flashback) and subqueries.
- Instead of presenting complex and confusing syntax diagrams, the book teaches by example, showing the SQL statements and options that readers are most like to use. All example data is available on the O'Reilly web site.
"If you need fast, accurate SQL information, with examples for multiple database engines, be sure to check out this book."--Chris Kempster, Senior DBA and author of
SQL Server 2000 for the Oracle DBA, www.chriskempster.com
About the Author
Jonathan Gennick is an O'Reilly & Associates editor specializing in database and programming titles. Prior to joining O'Reilly, Jonathan amassed some 17 years of programming and database management experience. During the latter part of his career he specialized in relational database programming, and more recently in database management. Jonathan got his start with relational database systems in 1990, first working with Ingres, and later with Digital's Rdb software. During that period he developed a fondness for SQL, and for the challenge of applying SQL creatively in ways that leveraged it's set-oriented capabilities. In 1994 Jonathan made the leap to Oracle, and is now often found writing about it. Recent projects include Oracle SQLLoader (O'Reilly & Associates, 2001); Oracle SQLPlus Pocket Reference (O'Reilly & Associates, 2000); Oracle SQL*Plus: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly & Associates, 1999); More recently, Jonathan has made forays into other database products, coauthoring Transact-SQL Cookbook (O'Reilly & Associates, 2002) and editing Practical PostgreSQL (O'Reilly & Associates, 2002). Jonathan is certified as an Oracle DBA and is a member of MENSA and the Oracle Technology Network. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information and Computer Science, with a Business Administration minor, from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Jonathan currently resides in Munising, Michigan with his wife Donna and their two children: Jenny and Jeff. Jonathan may be contacted by email at [email protected], and you can learn more about him personally by visiting his website at http://gennick.com.