Unix

The SQL Programmer's Reference: Windows 95/Nt & Unix

Format: Hardcover
Author: Wayne S. Freeze
ReleaseDate: February, 1998
Publisher: Ventana Communications Group
Rating:

An Excellent Reference
What it is, is an excellent *reference* book, containing encyclopedic listings, cross references, and some examples. This book is not intended to be a detailed discussion of SQL concepts and usage. It gives detailed information on syntax, usage, literals, arguments, and specific implementation notes across six implementations and the ANSI SQL-92 standard.

If you are a programmer who is familiar with a specific SQL implementation, and must now work with another, this book is a wonderful reference for making the transition. Also, if you develop for multiple SQL implementations (as I do for DB2, SQL Server, Access and Informix), this book is an excellent resource for cross referencing the subtle--and not so subtle--differences between implementations.

I consider this book to be an invaluable reference. One caveat: the publication date of '98 means that it misses some of the features of more recent versions of some of the platforms it covers.

no index, no concept discussion, incomplete specification
I returned it in a matter of hours, and I'd like those hours back. I couldn't even find a single reference to join, one of the key concepts in SQL.

This book is very basic. Not for the hardcore programmer.
It does not enter into a disussion on how to format more complicated SQL statements such as joins and subqueries. This book only contains syntax for basic SQL statements. Furthermore, it doesn't even address the almighty select statement until the end of the book and devotes a mere 9 pages to this important subject. This book is not a good reference for programmers looking for anything more than a basic introduction.