Rating: 
Summary: Taught me everything I needed to know...
Review: I had to learn SQL programming with Visual Basic 6 in about a month's time for a project. This book taught me everything I needed to know to deliver the application. Everytime I came across a stumbling block in my code or in SQL Server 2000 I found the answer in this book.This book will make you feel that you not only know how to make Visual Basic talk to SQL Server, it will make you feel you know more than the basics of SQL Server itself. Previous to reading this book I had no idea what a stored procedure was, or how a query works in SQL Server (I had worked extensively with Microsoft Access, and these skills were not necessarily transferable to SQL Server, though many of the concepts are similar). Now I know my way around SQL Server 2000. This book fulfilled a dual purpose. There are chapters on Database design, SQL Server installation, SQL Server security, Querying, Stored Procedures, the SQL language, IIS, and XML. Most of the book is taken up with what developers do everyday: the storage and manipulation of data. Over 300 pages of the book is dedicated to data in general, and how to get the most out of it using VB and SQL Server. If you need to create a VB6 (there is no discussion of VB.NET since the book predates it) database application using SQL Server, this is the book to start with. Its bulk pays off.
Rating:
Summary: Information Promise - Information delivered
Review: I have just finished Thearon Willis's book and I feel that my money was well spent. I am a Visual Basic programmer that has been working with Oracle for the last 5 years and I felt the need to get up to speed with SQL Server 2000. Per the title of the book I am a BEGINNER with SQL Server and this book met my needs exactly. I actually read the book and manually coded all the examples to build the test projects. Kudos to Mr. Willis for actually testing the code that he put in the book. All examples except one (for the stored procedure for temporary tables, you have to add SET NOCOUNT ON to the script), worked as they were supposed to. The book went into great detail on the logic and function of code used. Every line of code was explained clearly and concisely. I believe the section on XML was superb. I have struggled through a couple of short courses on XML and was left confused and discouraged. This book helped all the pieces fall into place and gave me the confidence and knowledge to actually create XML projects for the real world. Sample code is available for download from Wrox and they do respond to requests for help (the SET NOCOUNT ON issue) in a few days.
Rating:
Summary: Information Promise - Information delivered
Review: I have just finished Thearon Willis's book and I feel that my money was well spent. I am a Visual Basic programmer that has been working with Oracle for the last 5 years and I felt the need to get up to speed with SQL Server 2000. Per the title of the book I am a BEGINNER with SQL Server and this book met my needs exactly. I actually read the book and manually coded all the examples to build the test projects. Kudos to Mr. Willis for actually testing the code that he put in the book. All examples except one (for the stored procedure for temporary tables, you have to add SET NOCOUNT ON to the script), worked as they were supposed to. The book went into great detail on the logic and function of code used. Every line of code was explained clearly and concisely. I believe the section on XML was superb. I have struggled through a couple of short courses on XML and was left confused and discouraged. This book helped all the pieces fall into place and gave me the confidence and knowledge to actually create XML projects for the real world. Sample code is available for download from Wrox and they do respond to requests for help (the SET NOCOUNT ON issue) in a few days.
Rating:
Summary: The book has been marvelous!!!
Review: I have used this book and it has proven to be a highly resourceful Visual Basic and SQL Server book, that I am anxiously waiting for the release of Beginning VB.NET Databases by the same author!!!.
Rating:
Summary: Beginning SQL Server 2000 for Visual Basic Developers
Review: It's very good Books with good Price and (Wrox Press)
Rating: 
Summary: OK for starters, but 33 percent irrelevant
Review: OK for beginners who want to know some of the innards of SQL server, but there are two major faults. One is that newbies to networkable machines will find themselves crushed under the weight of networking and communications jargon that the author never explains, and Win98 machines can't handle half of the book. Second, the last third of the book for some 200 pages has nothing to do with VB: the samples are written entirely in XML, DHTML, and a mere snippet of VBScript. There are better VB tools for creating Web apps that can handle big datasets and ActiveX, whereas XML has enfuriatingly slow performance and an unattractive and inflexible interface that looks like something pounded out on a typewriter (remember those?). 5 stars for the first two-thirds, zilch for the remainder.
Rating:
Summary: OK for starters, but 33 percent irrelevant
Review: OK for beginners who want to know some of the innards of SQL server, but there are two major faults. One is that newbies to networkable machines will find themselves crushed under the weight of networking and communications jargon that the author never explains, and Win98 machines can't handle half of the book. Second, the last third of the book for some 200 pages has nothing to do with VB: the samples are written entirely in XML, DHTML, and a mere snippet of VBScript. There are better VB tools for creating Web apps that can handle big datasets and ActiveX, whereas XML has enfuriatingly slow performance and an unattractive and inflexible interface that looks like something pounded out on a typewriter (remember those?). 5 stars for the first two-thirds, zilch for the remainder.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for beginners
Review: Thearon Willis does a great job again with this book. It is well laid out, the examples are detailed, practical and easy to follow. The coverage of all topics is very thorough. Book is definitely worth the money and more.
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Summary: The perfect book to begin your 70-229 studying
Review: This book will help those who know a little to a fair amount of SQL. Use this and then Wrox's "Professional SQL Server 2000" to ready yourself for Microsoft's 70-229. The book is well written and holds your interest. This is THE book for VB programmers. I found a problem with trying to make one chapter's stored procedure work and Wrox's tech support responded in one day to my email to give me a solution (SET NOCOUNT ON). Highly recommended book.
Rating:
Summary: This book is great
Review: This book will help those who know a little to a fair amount of SQL. Use this and then Wrox's "Professional SQL Server 2000" to ready yourself for Microsoft's 70-229. The book is well written and holds your interest. This is THE book for VB programmers. I found a problem with trying to make one chapter's stored procedure work and Wrox's tech support responded in one day to my email to give me a solution (SET NOCOUNT ON). Highly recommended book.
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