The Bottom Line
This software-independent book takes a hands-on approach to learning SQL. After some brief introductory material, it dives right into developing SQL queries designed to meet specific goals. It's a great reference for those who occasionally use SQL and forget the details. It won't turn you into a database administrator, but that's not the intent.
Pros
- Tons of easy-to-follow examples
- Organized into functional sections
- Full of variations and tips
- Good for casual SQL users with some experience
Cons
- Limited introductory material
- Doesn't go into great depth
Description
- Well-organized book perfect for casual SQL users
- Illustrated examples point out common mistakes and variations
- Effective use of color highlights tricky portions of SQL code
Guide Review - SQL Visual Quickstart
Chris Fehily's book is a great desk reference for "functional users" of SQL. If you're the type of person who doesn't administer databases for a living but has the occasional need to bang out some SQL queries, this is the book for you. It's the kind of reference that will help you answer the question "Now, how did I do that again?" The book is divided into thirteen chapters with the first three dedicated to introductory material and the remaining ten into functional areas such as "Summarizing and Grouping Data" and "Retrieving Data from Multiple Tables." Individual sections have names conducive to quick answers like "Changing String Case with UPPER() and LOWER()."
