Guru's Guide to SQL Server™ Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML, The

Chapter 9. Views

I want to personally thank all those who have doubted me in the past. All those who gave up on me, who thought little of me, who underestimated me—you have been a source of inspiration. You have caused me to work faster and try harder than I otherwise would have, an d, for that, I owe you a debt of gratitude.

—H. W. Kenton

An SQL Server view object is a static query that you can use as a kind of virtual table in a SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE. A view consists of a SELECT statement stored permanently as a separate object using SQL's CREATE VIEW command. A view is typically used to encapsulate a complicated join or query so that it can be accessed like a table.

View columns can consist of columns from tables or other views, ...