Interview with Thearon Willis

Page 2

When did you start using SQL Server, and why did you choose to use SQl Server rather than say Oracle?

I started using SQL Server in 1997 and SQL Server was chosen because of its ease of use and implementation.

How did you first come to write for Wrox?

 Quite by accident actually. I had submitted a book idea to the Wrox team. They did not think there was a market for that book at the time but were in the process of putting together the outline for Professional VB6 Web Programming.  I was asked if I would be interested in writing a couple of chapters in that book. I wrote the chapters and found out that I really enjoy writing.

What makes this book stand out from others on the market?

 I think that for the most part the reason this book stands out is because it is written by a developer not a technical writer. I use SQL Server on a daily basis and try to cover the topics that most developers will find in the real world. I also try to implement real world examples and programs in my books.

Why should VB developers choose to use SQL Server?

I think it would have to be because of its scalability. You can write a desktop solution using the MSDE and then scale that same database to meet the growing needs of your clients.

What do you think are the best features of SQL Server 2000 compared to SQL Server 7?

There are so many new and exciting features in SQL Server 2000 that I don't know where to begin. The XML features are really important and open up a whole new avenue for SQL Server and the Web. There are new data types that help you overcome the limits of an integer and there are some new constraints that help you manage Referential Integrity even better. English Query has now been integrated into the Visual Studio IDE so developers can work in an environment that is more familiar to them. But from a developers stand point it would have to be the UI. Microsoft added an Object Browser in the Query Analyzer that is very feature rich. This makes the Query Analyzer the mostproductive tool in the SQL Server arsenal for a developer.

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James Crowley

James Crowley United Kingdom

James first started this website when learning Visual Basic back in 1999 whilst studying his GCSEs. The site grew steadily over the years while being run as a hobby - to a regular monthly audien...

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