Skip to Content
Effective SQL: 61 Specific Ways to Write Better SQL, First Edition
book

Effective SQL: 61 Specific Ways to Write Better SQL, First Edition

by John L. Viescas, Douglas J. Steele, Ben G. Clothier
December 2016
Intermediate to advanced
352 pages
9h 37m
English
Addison-Wesley Professional

Overview

“Given the authors’ reputations, I expected to be impressed. I was blown away! . . . Most SQL books sit on my shelf. This one will live on my desk.”
–Roger Carlson, Microsoft Access MVP (2006-2015)

“Rather than stumble around reinventing wheels or catching glimpses of the proper approaches, do yourself a favor: Buy this book.”
—Dave Stokes, MySQL Community Manager, Oracle Corporation

Effective SQL brings together practical solutions and insights so you can solve complex problems with SQL and design databases that simplify data management in the future. It’s the only modern book that brings together advanced best practices and realistic example code for all of these versions of SQL: IBM DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle Database, and PostgreSQL.

Drawing on their immense experience as world-class database consultants and instructors, the authors identify 61 proven approaches to writing better SQL. Wherever SQL versions vary, the authors illuminate the key nuances, so you can get the most out of whatever version you prefer. This full-color guide provides clear, practical explanations; expert tips; and plenty of usable code. Going far beyond mere syntax, it addresses issues ranging from optimizing database designs to managing hierarchies and metadata. If you already know SQL’s basics, this guide will help you become a world-class SQL problem-solver.

  • Craft better logical data models, and fix flawed models

  • Implement indexes that improve query performance

  • Handle external data from sources you don’t control

  • Extract and aggregate the information you need, as efficiently as possible

  • Write more flexible subqueries

  • Analyze and retrieve metadata using your database platform of choice

  • Use Cartesian Products and Tally Tables to solve problems you can’t address with conventional JOINs

  • Model hierarchical data: managing SQL’s tradeoffs and shortcomings

  • Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
    and much more.

    Read now

    Unlock full access

    More than 5,000 organizations count on O’Reilly

    AirBnbBlueOriginElectronic ArtsHomeDepotNasdaqRakutenTata Consultancy Services

    QuotationMarkO’Reilly covers everything we've got, with content to help us build a world-class technology community, upgrade the capabilities and competencies of our teams, and improve overall team performance as well as their engagement.
    Julian F.
    Head of Cybersecurity
    QuotationMarkI wanted to learn C and C++, but it didn't click for me until I picked up an O'Reilly book. When I went on the O’Reilly platform, I was astonished to find all the books there, plus live events and sandboxes so you could play around with the technology.
    Addison B.
    Field Engineer
    QuotationMarkI’ve been on the O’Reilly platform for more than eight years. I use a couple of learning platforms, but I'm on O'Reilly more than anybody else. When you're there, you start learning. I'm never disappointed.
    Amir M.
    Data Platform Tech Lead
    QuotationMarkI'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.
    Mark W.
    Embedded Software Engineer

    You might also like

    Getting Started with SQL

    Getting Started with SQL

    Thomas Nield
    SQL in a Nutshell, 4th Edition

    SQL in a Nutshell, 4th Edition

    Kevin Kline, Regina O. Obe, Leo S. Hsu
    SQL Antipatterns

    SQL Antipatterns

    Bill Karwin
    SQL Cookbook, 2nd Edition

    SQL Cookbook, 2nd Edition

    Anthony Molinaro, Robert de Graaf

    Publisher Resources

    ISBN: 9780134579078Purchase book