SQL (Structured Query Language) is a standard programming language for generating, manipulating, and retrieving information from a relational database. If you're working with a relational database--whether you're writing applications, performing administrative tasks, or generating reports--you need to know how to interact with your data. Even if you are using a tool that generates SQL for you, such as a reporting tool, there may still be cases where you need to bypass the automatic generation feature and write your own SQL statements.

To help you attain this fundamental SQL knowledge, look to Learning SQL, an introductory guide to SQL, designed primarily for developers just cutting their teeth on the language.

Learning SQL moves you quickly through the basics and then on to some of the more commonly used advanced features. Among the topics discussed:

• The history of the computerized database

• SQL Data Statements--those used to create, manipulate, and retrieve data stored in your database; example statements include select, update, insert, and delete

• SQL Schema Statements--those used to create database objects, such as tables, indexes, and constraints

• How data sets can interact with queries

• The importance of subqueries

• Data conversion and manipulation via SQL's built-in functions

• How conditional logic can be used in Data Statements

Best of all, Learning SQL talks to you in a real-world manner, discussing various platform differences that you're likely to encounter and offering a series of chapter exercises that walk you through the learning process. Whenever possible, the book sticks to the features included in the ANSI SQL standards. This means you'll be able to apply what you learn to any of several different databases; the book covers MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle Database, but the features and syntax should apply just as well (perhaps with some tweaking) to IBM DB2, Sybase Adaptive Server, and PostgreSQL.

Put the power and flexibility of SQL to work. With Learning SQL you can master this important skill and know that the SQL statements you write are indeed correct.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 30 Ratings

Updated for the latest database management systems including Server 2008 and Oracle 11g - 2009-07-17
Reviewer Rating:
Computer libraries will relish Alan Beaulieu's LEARNING SQL, 2ND EDITION, updated for the latest database management systems including Server 2008 and Oracle 11g. It provides self-contained lessons on key SQL techniques and shows how to create database objects, interact sets with queries, and convert data. A 'must' for any SQL programmer.

Clear, detailed, and useful - 2009-05-30
Reviewer Rating:
If a person is looking to become a database administrator, or just needs to get up to speed on the basics with some understanding of what they are doing and why, this is an excellent place to start. However, this book does require that you have some experience with computers, especially a base knowledge of what a database is and how or why programs might want to interact with one. This isn't a book for someone who is a complete novice to the realm of data storage and interaction, but rather intended for people who know what they want to do and why and need an in depth manual for how to accomplish the task of storing, retrieving, and using data.

I love that the book is written by a very experienced Oracle administrator, but uses MySQL as the base for all examples and instruction. The book itself focuses on teaching the ANSI standard clearly and well, but gives great examples using one free and open source product that is available for any reader to download and install on their system. Then, the author discusses some of the differences that may be discovered by readers as they move into the real world and begin to interact with other database systems such as Oracle or SQL Server.

The book uses examples that are well formed, clear, and which adhere well to standards. I especially appreciate that the examples use good coding technique that is easy to read and would be a joy to maintain in the wild if it were discovered by a person taking over responsibility for a database they did not create.

An excellent introduction to SQL - 2010-01-05
Reviewer Rating:
The header on the front page of this book says "A Pain-Free Introduction to SQL..." and that's what the book exactly is.

The book introduces and discusses SQL statements for DB creation, population, querying - and subquerying -, data generation, conversion and manipulation. The SQL statements are illustrated through practical sound examples all the way long. In each section where a new topic is addressed, the author reveals the SQL statement that implements or illustrates it, discusses the whys and hows, then comments on the actual results returned by the database after the statement is executed. Although the statement examples are run on MySQL and author assumes version 4.1.11 or later will be used, running them on another DB and/or version should not be a problem as the statements are mainly based on ANSI SQL syntax, except for a few identified as such. MySQL extensions to the ANSI SQL syntax are addressed in an appendix.

Although I found all parts of the book are useful and worth reading, I believe Chapter 10 on Joins alone justifies the cost of this book. As one of the statements used most in the querying of actual DB applications, if you need good understanding and proper handling of Joins, you ought to read this one.

This is an introductory book to SQL, not to databases. Preliminary basic knowledge on data modeling, tables, indexes, etc. will be helpful understanding the contents of it. Precisely because this is an introductory book, you'll definitely need additional advanced SQL readings - e.g. SQL Cookbook - and your particular database product's SQL reference and its extensions to the language - e.g. T-SQL for MS SQL Server - for serious SQL querying in your DB application.

Good Reference Book - 2009-12-10
Reviewer Rating:
I didn't get the chance to read the book from start to finish, due to the lack of time, but I now use it for reference. It was very easy to use and had more details compared to some SQL Books that I tried.

Extremely straight and effective - 2009-10-12
Reviewer Rating:
This book is great if you want to learn SQL quickly without taking the pain to scan the available tutorials from the Internet.

In contrast to my preceding reviewer Mr Garland, I want to claim that for anybody bringing a little computer science and/or IT background plus a minimum of common sense, this book is of great value: it teaches SQL very straight and effective, and even motivates own experiments with the easy accessible and open source MySQL DB.

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