Why This Book?

This book is mainly intended to be a systematic guide to learning SQL using SQL Server --a relational and multiuser database. The book is aimed at students who wish to learn SQL using Microsoft's SQL Server . The book is expected to be used by schools and SQL training organizations as well as by database and IT professionals who are actively working with SQL Server .

The book starts with very simple SQL concepts, and slowly builds into more complex query development. The purpose of this book is to present every topic, concept, and idea with examples of code and output. Exercises have also been included to gain SQL proficiency using SQL Server. The best approach to using this book efficiently is to read through the book with SQL Server open and active. As the book is read, it will be advantageous for you to work with and understand the examples.

If the book is used for a beginning database course, the exercises are presented to be done by the students over the course of one semester at a pace of one chapter per week. The exercises are found at the end of each chapter.

Due to the dramatic increase in the popularity of relational and multiuser databases, many schools and training organizations are using SQL Server in their database courses to teach database principles and concepts. This development has generated a need for a concise book on SQL Server programming, tied in with database principles and conceptshence this book.