A Guide to SQL

Book by Pratt, Philip J.

The author uses an interesting didactic innovation that every textbook writer should consider imitating: Instead of illustrating ideas with microprograms, which are good for almost nothing except illustrating the idea, Pratt develops two examples throughout the entire book. By the time you complete this thin but comprehensive volume, you will have completed two real databases. The book also contains embedded questions so you can check whether or not you've grasped specific concepts before proceeding to the next section. Pratt's extended case studies show how SQL programs can be layered on one another other to slowly build up functionality. As such, it serves both as an SQL language manual as well as an example of how to create relatively large SQL codes. This book does not make specific reference to any particular SQL implementation, so it can be used with any standard SQL engine.