SQL Server 2000 Stored Procedure Programming

SQL Server 2000 Stored Procedure Programming
by Dejan Sunderic, Tom Woodhead
Copyright 2000
Osborne McGraw-Hill

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One of the best ways to boost SQL Server's performance is to take advantage of stored procedures instead of using ADO or dynamic SQL in your applications to INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE data. If you currently aren't making good use of stored procedures in your SQL Server-based applications, one of the reasons may be because information on how to learn to write efficient stored procedures has been slim. Sure, most books on SQL Server development devote a chapter or two writing stored procedures, but often this is not enough. If you really want to get good at writing stored procedures, what you really need is an entire book on the subject. And guess what, here is this book.

This book focuses on how to write stored procedures, starting from the very beginning (good for novices) and continues through advanced topics. It shows you how to design, debug, and create functions, triggers, and stored procedures. The book is designed for professional Transact-SQL developers who need to write stored procedures in the real world. Because of this, the book also includes information on creating robust error handling and tips and tricks on creating fast-performing and scalable applications. The book also includes many examples to make the material even more relevant.

The performance tips are covered throughout the book, and are not found in a single chapter. So if you purchase this book to help you speed up your SQL Server applications, then you will need to read virtually most of the book (perhaps skipping the first couple of introductory chapters.

The book's chapters include:

• Introduction

• Relational Database Concepts and the SQL Server Environment

• Stored Procedure Design Concepts

• Basic Transact-SQL Programming Constructs

• Functions

• Composite Transact-SQL Constructs--Batches, Scripts, and Transactions

• Debugging and Error Handling

• Developing Professional Habits

• Special Types of Procedures

• Advanced Stored Procedure Programming

• Interaction with the SQL Server Environment

• XML Support in SQL Server 2000

I recommend this book to all SQL Server developers, VB developers, and ASP developers who write stored procedures for SQL Server 2000. While this book covers both introductory and advanced stored procedure concepts, it is not designed for SQL Server beginners. If you are new to SQL Server development and Transact-SQL, I would first purchase a book, such as Professional SQL Server 7.0 Programming, and master it, before purchasing this book. In fact, this book is a good companion book to Professional SQL Server 7.0 Programming.