SQL For Dummies

With the abundance of fine database applications -- from Microsoft Access and Claris FileMaker Pro to products from Oracle, Sybase, and Informix -- SQL is more important than ever as the glue that holds disparate databases together. Now completely updated with the latest on SQL enhancements and SQL-compatible database software, SQL For Dummies®, 2nd Edition, is the practical, easy-to-understand reference for anyone wanting to get something done using Standard Query Language.

In SQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition, computer information systems expert Allen G. Taylor offers practical, how-to guidance on tables, views, schemas, and indexes that make data access easy. He also provides expert tips on relational databases, SQL commands and data types, and SQL components like Data Definition Language, Data Manipulation Language, and Data Control Language. From the fundamentals of database structure and design to coverage of specific SQL commands, SQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is a must-have reference for anyone with databases to manage and systems to integrate.

Plus, SQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition, features coverage of accessing databases over the Internet and enhancing database application interfaces with development tools such as Borland's C++ Builder and IntraBuilder.

This is the rare case of a book that can take you from a beginner to an advanced-intermediate level. Like many of the books in IDG's Dummies series, this volume begins with a definition ("What is SQL?") and ends with "The Part of Tens," a collection of tips in a top ten list form. Taylor writes in a breezy, entertaining style that SQL novices will find inviting. One caveat: The examples are given in Borland's Delphi, a rapid application development (RAD) tool. Some sections show several screen shots from Delphi and it may be difficult to follow along in these sections if you don't have the program in front of you. As with other Dummies books, SQL for Dummies is entertaining to read although the nonstop jokes may distract some readers from the technical content.