M. Helmke said
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.
William N. Coan said
Wouldn't it be great if your first study guide on databases covered database theory in general, your own favorite database server in particular, and also the ins and outs of SQL?
Alan Beaulieu's Learning SQL comes as close as possible to covering exactly those three topics, and it covers them with clarity, completeness, enthusiasm, and scrupulous attention to the reader's needs.
When I say the book comes "as close as possible" to covering the designated topics, I'm making allowance for the fact that the examples in the book rely on MySQL Community Server, the no cost, freely available, open source database server.
The author recommends that you download and install MySQL and load the sample database so that you can run the examples and experiment with the data. In most cases, though, the examples will run on Oracle Database and SQL Server without modification, and in any case, when modifications are needed, they are provided in the text. Also, in point of fact, almost all of the SQL statements can be used in any application (e.g., Microsoft Access) that relies on SQL to query data.
The book starts by considering the challenges of storing data efficiently. It very briefly explores the history of computerized databases, including the rise of relational concepts and the development of SQL. Then the book introduces a very simple, easy-to-understand database of banking operations and begins to explore how data in the various tables can be added, modified, and deleted through the power of SQL.
The book's strength lies in its careful unfolding of concepts and examples. At no point are you asked to digest more than one concept at a time, and with each new concept, concrete examples are provided to illustrate the concept and cement your understanding.
The book takes note of the fact that SQL statements can be divided into schema statements, data statements, and transaction statements. The bulk of the book is devoted to explication of data statements, but schema statements are also covered fairly extensively in a chapter on creating and populating a database and in a separate chapter devoted to meta data. Transaction statements also receive a dedicated chapter.
Early in the book, a "Query Primer" demonstrates how to think about and exploit the power of SELECT, FROM, and WHERE clauses of standard queries. From there, the book proceeds to filtering, updating, and deleting, before proceeding to queries involving multiple tables. A chapter on basic set theory ("Working with sets") is very well done and includes highly graphical presentations. Additional chapters cover data generation, conversion and manipulation, aggregation, subqueries, conditional logic, indexes and constraints, and data views (i.e., interfaces to shield users from the complexity of the underlying data).
The entire book is well written and thoughtfully organized. As you read along and follow the examples, your reaction is likely to be, "Aha! This new concept is simple and easy to grasp, just like the last one!" And, indeed, Beaulieu does an excellent job of breaking down the complexities of database theory and the SQL language into fundamental underlying concepts that anyone can understand.
The book is so readable that you won't have any trouble breezing through it from start to finish in the order presented, but if you want to dip into it for reference purposes, the detailed table of contents and extensive index will allow you to do so. Either way, after just 320 pages of highly illustrated text, you will feel in complete command of SQL fundamentals.
L. Medero said
This book is easy understand i dont know any about SQL and now y can make some querys with simple use of SELECT, FROM, WHERE.
Jeremy R. Laporte said
This is a great for those who want to learn mysql. It's easy to understand and the examples are clear and simple and teach you step by step what you need to know.
I just think it would be better to focus on Oracle SQL than mysql and that sometime the book doesn't cover the why and how of certain things that would help understand concepts a little better. For exemple no words when learning contraints about what are in line and out of line constraint, or in a join what are the alias. Also the file they ask you to download is not where they say it would but it's not too hard to find it.
Otherwise it's a great book and strongly recommend it.
Keith E. Ducett Jr. said
Very well written book. However, I really needed the book to learn Microsoft SQL Server and it is more directed towards MySQL, which I do not use. I was a little disappointed in that fact so if you are in the same predicament, take this into account for your purchase.
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