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Summary: The Bible of Sql server 2000 Programming
Review: This is the best book I have ever read about SQL Server programming. It is an extremely analytic book that will take us to an easy, educative trip to the SQL Server 2000 world. Apart from the scientific writting, which is more than excellent, the author uses a rather easy writting style which makes the book very readable.
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Summary: I passed Microsoft's 70-229 test with this book.
Review: I just passed Microsoft's "Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition" for by 4th and final test to obtain my MCSD certification. This book was almost all I needed. I was glad Viera was comprehensive (1000+ pages); it was needed. This is also a great reference book. If you need to find a specific SQL programming detail in an area that you might not use everday this is the perfect book.I did not want to buy a number of texts for this test and I researched which book to buy very carefully. There are some really poor ones on the market. I assure you this book is far out in front of the rest. Microsoft's Training Kit book on SQL 2000 Database Design and Devlopment was somewhat useful but really almost an outline and incomplete in some areas. "Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming" and the "Transcender" tests are all you need (with maybe a little help from "Books On Line").
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Summary: A beginner's book with plenty of the BOL thrown in
Review: This book is a joke. Many if not most of the chapters contain *nothing* that is not in the BOL or in MSDN. Particularly bad is the replication chapter. Anyone can do screen prints of wizards that prompt you through most of the work. There's abosolutely nothing in this chapter that isn't in the BOL (in fact, there's far less). The other complaint I have is how woefully bad the writing is. Wrox books are known for being the worst in the industry, but this one takes them to new lows. The guy cannot write. The wording is the strangest, most uneven stuff you'll ever see. It's horid. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. There has to be a better publication out there for MS SQL developers. Heck, if nothing else, use the BOL -- it's better than this lame retread.
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Summary: Average
Review: This is not a a book for developers. This is an architecture book - an average one.
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Summary: Thanks, Rob!
Review: This is perhaps the best technical book ever written. Using this manual I was able to solve problems in SQL 2000 that had eluded me for years in Access, as well as solve some tricky issues in having my code talk to the SQL database. The couple of pages on correlated subqueries alone are worth the price of the book (particularly the bold hint about aliasing), and the excellent section on stored procedures is absolutely essential for the developer trying to make their program talk to the database. Being able to use stored procedures effectively has drastically increased the response time of my ASP and Java web sites, as well as simplified maintenance. My only issue is that I wish there was a dedicted section with regard to commenting and variable/table naming conventions. As a neophyte developer trying to make business and entertainment apps this would be help. If you want practical SQL in an easy to read and understand format, this is the book for you. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Summary: Top class
Review: If you want to become a guru, to really know the depths of SQL Server, this is the book for you. Not to be mistaken for exam-cram - this is about application, not regurtitation.
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Summary: The Server Side Reference
Review: This is the server side reference for SQL Server 2000. Great book full of real world examples and best practices. The supporting download of code samples is very benefitial. If you need client side information and api's you'll need a different book, but if you are responsible for the maintenance and performance of the server this is THE BOOK.
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Summary: Best book without question
Review: I have the SQL 7 version and it's THE BEST book I ever saw on SQL Server. I've been a consultant for 8 years now and the days of the dedicated DBA are mostly gone from what I can see. I really hated databases, but needed to design/code one for my current project and this book was all I needed. The author even has best practices that show he's really been using and thinking about this stuff on a daily practice. Very clear and useful book for the experienced programmer that has to wear the development DBA hat now too. Since the web has really dumbed down COM design (can't have large complicated COM components with events and callbacks in the middle tier...I love database work and find the design aspects really fun and exciting. Also, ignore the 2 star review below...the guy clearly doesn't know where to look to find the right information. This is a SQL server book, not an ODBC API quick ref.
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Summary: Essential for ASP developers
Review: Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming is an essential component of your library if you are a MS Active Server Page developer. My library consists of Beginning ASP, Professional ASP, Beginning ASP Databases, Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming, and Vbscript Programmers Reference, all published by Wrox. Combined with MSDN, I have yet to run into a ASP problem that I could not solve. This book in particular will help you leverage the power of SQL Server. Specifically, the ability to form complicated stored procedures that contain limited logic will help you tune and manage your web application. This book also offers a nice foundation of basic SQL and solid relational DB design tips. I was particularly impressed with the explanation of all the fun tools that SQL Server ships with, but that no one ever shows you how to use. With ASP development, developers more and more find that they are forced to develop applications quickly and without the help of a dedicated DBA. A well-normalized, solid DB is the foundation of any good web application. If you blow the DB design, you will pay the price for the entire life of the application. Buy this book and spare yourself the pain that comes from a bad database, and learn some neat tricks along the way to make your code more stable and professional. Highly recommended!
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Summary: Best SQL Server 2000 Programing book!
Review: This is a great read! I just got the book and already on chapter 4. Book is so well written and easy to read I didn't even realize how far I had gotten. I have read many SQL Server books and this is buy far the best. If you realy want to learn sql, than buy this book now.
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