Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming Book

Aimed at those starting out with SQL Server databases as programmers or administrators, Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming can put basic database skills into reach for readers of all levels. Packed with screenshots of how to use the relevant SQL Server tools and wizards, this book sets a high standard for accessibility for a tutorial text on Microsoft databases.Most titles use screenshots to at least guide readers through installation of computer software and then turn to a more text-based presentation style later on. Not so with this text, which has several hundred screenshots used throughout showing SQL Server tools in action. After covering how to install and configure SQL Server (a trial edition is including on the accompanying CD), the author continues to show off tools like Enterprise Manager and Query Analyzer at work with plenty of step-by-step, hands-on tutorials with plentiful screenshots. This book walks you through designing and creating a simple database (one that stores results for a golf league). In most every case, the author shows off using a tool alongside a more "manual" approach using SQL to get the job done. (For example, there's step-by-step coverage of how to create tables and indexes using Enterprise Manager, as well as how to do the same tasks using raw SQL in Query Analyzer.) Along the way, there is a solid tutorial to basic SQL for querying, inserting, updating, and deleting data, plus a good introduction to stored procedures and triggers. The strong sections on backing up and restoring databases are all you need to get started with basic database administration in SQL Server. Besides nuts-and-bolts DBA tasks, this book also offers a quick introduction to XML support available on the Microsoft database platform. The text closes with a handy listing of all T-SQL keywords, plus a guide to security options and settings available in SQL Server.In all, this hands-on guide to database essentials can let you start effectively administering and programming with SQL Server regardless of your level of database experience. --Richard DraganRead More