THE INFORMATIONAL DELUGE shows no signs of abating. We are inundated with data from the TV, from the Internet, and from advertisements stuffed in our mail boxes, virtual and otherwise. Unfortunately, as the quantity of information increased, its quality declined dramatically: Books were replaced by journals; then magazines; then newspapers; then web pages, blogs, and fi nally, tweets. The information becomes ever-more voluminous and ever-less trustworthy. Even worse, in the age of the Internet data never really disappears; it keeps accumulating, tucked away in fi les, logs, and databases. According to Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt, we create as much data in two days as we did from the fi rst written record until 2003 (a date as good as any); this is about five exabytes (that is fi ve billion gigabytes!) of data in just two days, and the pace keeps accelerating.

When electronic data storage became a reality, it brought about its own set of rules: To make sense out of the data, one had to learn the language. Relational database theory was so far the most successful attempt to bring electronic data under control, and it brought Structured Query Language (SQL) to go along with it.

The relational databases and SQL have evolved quite a bit since the 1970s when they made their first appearance, and the concepts embedded into the database SQL might appear counterintuitive to the uninitiated. By unraveling the SQL story, the reader will understand the rationale behind it and will learn to appreciate both the power and the limitations of SQL.

Teaching the SQL skills that businesses demand when hiring programmers

If you're a SQL beginner, you don't just want to learn SQL basics, you also want to get some practical SQL skills you can use in the job market. This book gives you both. Covering the basics through intermediate topics with clear explanations, hands-on exercises, and helpful solutions, this book is the perfect introduction to SQL. Topics include both the current SQL:2008 standards, the upcoming SQL:2011 standards, and also how to use SQL against current releases of the most popular commercial SQL databases, such as Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL.

• Introduces SQL concepts, explains SQL statements, and clearly shows how to write efficient and effective SQL code
• Uses a hands-on style and a sample database that incorporates all SQL concepts taught in the book; this database will be enhanced through the book as key points and lessons are covered
• Covers topics such as how SQL interacts with the sample database via various interfaces, including vendor-provided utilities, programming languages, SQL clients, and productivity software
• Includes appendices with primers on database normalization, set theory and bollean algebra, RDBMS software step-by-step setup guides, and database connectivity

Learn how to write effective, efficient SQL code with Discovering SQL: A Hands-On Guide for Beginners.