SQL: Practical Guide for Developers

This book is not just another SQL text. The author’s use of simple yet clear examples to illustrate difficult concepts throughout the text makes this a perfect book for use in an introductory database systems class as a supplement or as an introductory reference for the novice practitioner.
—Paul Fortier, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

The book lives up to its title: it is a very practical guide. The authors clearly know their SQL and manage to write about the language in a step-by-step style that progresses smoothly from the simple to the more difficult aspects of the language. The profuse use of examples, each with an accompanying motivation and explanation of the results, lets the reader follow even complex topics without a constant struggle. The authors have even included examples that illustrate common errors programmers make, explaining the right way to perform the task. It doesn't hurt that the sample application is based on something everybody uses every day: food.
—Jim Melton, Oracle Corporation

Would the basics of SQL querying be useful to you, but you don’t want to start at the very beginning? Do you wish you had an easy way to ramp up quickly to get a basic understanding of key features and capability? Then you need this book! Without a ton of conceptual information or general programming basics you already know, this book is a quick guide for computing professionals and programmers to learn the basics—and more—in an easily digestible way.

Features:
+ Provides tutorial-based instruction for the main features of SQL for programmers and other technical professionals in need of a brief but really good introduction to SQL.
+ The approach is vendor-neutral—so very adaptable and flexible—but the book’s Web site includes information about DBMS-specific peculiarities.
+ The focus is on teaching concepts by walking through concrete examples and explanations, and self-review exercises are included at the end of each chapter.
+ Coverage is on the key features of the language that are required to understand SQL and begin using it effectively.
+ SQL 2003-compliant.

About the Authors:
Michael J. Donahoo is an associate professor at Baylor University. He teaches undergraduate database courses and has worked as a database consultant. Gregory Speegle is an associate professor and graduate director at Baylor University, where he has taught graduate and undergraduate database courses for more than ten years.

Michael J. Donahoo teaches networking to undergraduate and graduate students at Baylor University, where he is an assistant professor. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research interests are in large-scale information dissemination and management.

Gregory D. Speegle is an associate professor at Baylor University where he has taught graduate and undergraduate database courses for 10 years. He received a B.S. degree from Baylor in 1984, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas in 1990. He has been the graduate director since 1994. Dr. Speegle believes students should be comfortable using databases as part of routine programming. His area of research interest is multimedia databases.