When we published the first edition of this book, we heard from plenty of developers who were just starting out using Microsoft SQL Server and found this to be ... » 

When we published the first edition of this book, we heard from plenty of developers who were just starting out using Microsoft SQL Server and found this to be a great book for training. But we also heard from a lot of experienced developers who read it and were amazed to discover how much they didn't know about SQL. That's why we've dubbed this book the SQL book that most developers don't even know they need.

So whether you're new to SQL...or whether you've been squeaking by with the SQL you know, never realizing how much you're missing out on...this is the book for you.

For example, you'll learn:How to create complex inner and outer joins, summary queries, and subqueries that do more of the database processing for you so that your applications can do less What the different data types are and how to handle the common problems you run into with various types of data How to work with XML data How to take advantage of powerful backend database features like views, scripts, stored procedures, and triggers How to deal with database control features like cursors, transactions, and locking The basics of database design and implementation using the Management Studio or SQL DDL statements (you can write more efficient queries when you know something about how databases are set up - and you can start to see what your DBA has to think about, if that's a career path that interests you) How to use the CLR integration feature to create database objects using C# or Visual Basic code «