Joe Celko’s SQL for Smarties, 4th Edition: Advanced SQL Programming

SQL for Smarties was hailed as the first book devoted explicitly to the advanced techniques needed to transform an experienced SQL programmer into an expert. Now, 15 years later and in its fourth edition, this classic reference still reigns supreme as the only book written by a SQL master that teaches programmers and practitioners to become SQL masters themselves! These are not just tips and techniques; also offered are the best solutions to old and new challenges. Joe Celko conveys the way you need to think in order to get the most out of SQL programming efforts for both correctness and performance. New to the fourth edition, Joe features new examples to reflect the ANSI/ISO Standards so anyone can use it. He also updates data element names to meet new ISO-11179 rules with the same experience-based teaching style that made the previous editions the classics they are today.

KEY FEATURES

• Expert advice from a noted SQL authority and award-winning columnist who has given ten years service to the ANSI SQL standards committee
• Teaches scores of advanced techniques that can be used with any product, in any SQL environment, whether it is an SQL 92 or SQL 2008 environment
• Offers tips for working around deficiencies and gives insight into real-world challenges

In the SQL database community, Joe Celko is a well-known columnist and purveyor of valuable insights. In Joe Celko’s SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming, he picks up where basic SQL training and experience leaves many database professionals and offers tips, techniques, and explanations that help readers extend their capabilities to top-tier SQL programming.

Although Celko denies that the book is about database theory, he nevertheless alludes to theory often to buttress his practical points. This title is not for novices, as the author points out. Instead, its intended audience is SQL programmers with at least a year’s experience. The book maintains a fine balance between technical discussion and practical explanation–picking hot topics and offering advice on a wide range of issues.

The book uses ANSI SQL-89 as its baseline standard, with some mention of SQL-92 features. It does not, however, focus on any commercial product; this guide zeroes in on the SQL language. Celko covers all aspects of database design, optimization, and manipulation, with easy-to-understand explanations of key issues such as why not to use too many nulls, how to use practical normalization, and how to optimize queries.

This insightful text is manna for all the day-to-day SQL coders banging their heads over the language’s subtle challenges. –Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: Database design and normalization, SQL data types, querying, grouping, set operations, optimization, data scaling, and encoding.