Beginning T-SQL with Microsoft® SQL Server® 2005 and 2008 -- About the Authors -- Credits -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Introduction -- Who This Book Is For -- What This Book Covers -- How This Book Is Structured -- What You Need to Use This Book -- Conventions -- Source Code -- Errata -- p2p.wrox.com -- Chapter 1: Introducing T-SQL and Data Management Systems -- T-SQL Language -- SQL Server as a Relational Database Management System -- SQL Server and Other Products -- Summary -- Chapter 2: SQL Server Fundamentals -- Who Uses SQL Server? -- SQL Server Editions and Features -- Semantics -- Normalization Rules -- Applying Normalization Rules -- The Mechanics of Query Processing -- The AdventureWorks Databases -- Summary -- Chapter 3: SQL Server Tools -- Common SQL Server Tasks -- SQL Server Management Studio -- SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio -- SQL Server Profiler -- Database Tuning Advisor -- SQL Server Configuration Manager -- Command-Line Tools -- Writing Queries -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 4: Introducing the T-SQL Language -- The Nature of SQL -- Where to Begin? -- Data Manipulation Language -- Data Definition Language -- Data Control Language -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 5: Data Retrieval -- Storage and Retrieval -- The SELECT Statement -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 6: SQL Functions -- The Anatomy of a Function -- Aggregate Functions -- Configuration Variables -- Conversion Functions -- Cursor Functions and Variables -- Date Functions -- String Manipulation Functions -- Mathematical Functions -- Metadata Functions -- Ranking Functions -- Security Functions -- System Functions and Variables -- Global System Statistical Variables -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 7: Aggregation and Grouping -- To Group or Not to Group -- Using Aggregate Functions -- Understanding Statistical Functions -- Grouping Data.

Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 8: Multi-Table Queries -- Understanding Subqueries and Joins -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 9: Advanced Queries and Scripting -- Subqueries -- Common Table Expressions -- Cursors -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 10: Transactions -- Introducing Transactions -- Let's Do CRUD with Data -- Explicit Transactions -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 11: Advanced Capabilities -- Pivoting Data -- Full-Text Queries and Approximation Matching -- Microsoft Search Service -- Managing and Populating Catalogs -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 12: T-SQL Programming Objects -- Views -- Stored Procedures -- User-Defined Functions -- Transaction Management -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 13: Creating and Managing Database Objects -- Data Definition Language -- IF EXISTS -- Securing Database Objects -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 14: Analyzing and Optimizing Query Performance -- Data Retrieval -- Analyzing Queries -- Writing Efficient T-SQL (Best Practices) -- Summary -- Exercises -- Chapter 15: T-SQL in Applications and Reporting -- Application Programming Models -- Selecting a Model -- SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services -- Summary -- Appendix A: Command Syntax Reference -- T-SQL Commands, Clauses, and Predicates -- Script Comment Conventions -- Reserved Words -- Appendix B: System Variables and Functions Reference -- System Global Variables -- System Functions -- Appendix C: System Stored Procedure Reference -- Active Directory -- Catalog -- Change Data Capture (2008) -- Cursor Management -- Database Engine -- Database Maintenance Plan -- Distributed Queries -- External Systems and Extended Procedures -- Full-Text Index/Search -- Log Shipping -- Database Mail -- OLE Automation -- SQL Server Profiler -- Security -- SQL Server Agent -- XML -- Appendix D: Information Schema Views Reference -- CHECK_CONSTRAINTS.

COLUMN_DOMAIN_USAGE -- COLUMN_PRIVILEGES -- COLUMNS -- CONSTRAINT_COLUMN_USAGE -- CONSTRAINT_TABLE_USAGE -- DOMAIN_CONSTRAINTS -- DOMAINS -- KEY_COLUMN_USAGE -- PARAMETERS -- REFERENTIAL_CONSTRAINTS -- ROUTINE_COLUMNS -- ROUTINES -- SCHEMATA -- TABLE_CONSTRAINTS -- TABLE_PRIVILEGES -- TABLES -- VIEW_COLUMN_USAGE -- VIEW_TABLE_USAGE -- VIEWS -- Appendix E: FileStream Objects and Syntax -- FileStream Objects -- Sample T-SQL Scripts -- Appendix F: Answers to Exercises -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- Chapter 5 -- Chapter 6 -- Chapter 7 -- Chapter 8 -- Chapter 9 -- Chapter 10 -- Chapter 11 -- Chapter 12 -- Chapter 13 -- Chapter 14 -- Index.