Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Bible

Chapter 16

Programming with T-SQL

In This Chapter

Exploring the Basics of T-SQL and Batches

Working with Local Variables

Controlling the Flow of the Batch

Exploring SQL Server Objects with Code

Working with Temporary Tables and Table Variables

Using Multiple Assignment Variable Select Statements

Standard SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) commands — SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE — modify or return only data. SQL DML lacks both the programming structure to develop procedures and algorithms, and the database-specific commands to control and tune the server. To compensate, each full-featured database product must complement the SQL standard with some proprietary SQL language extension.

Transact-SQL, better known as T-SQL, is Microsoft's implementation of ANSI SQL plus its proprietary collection of extensions to SQL. The purpose of T-SQL is to provide a set of procedural and administrative tools for the development of a transactional database. You can use these tools in several different ways within a SQL Server client/server application:

• T-SQL is used within expressions as part of DML commands (INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE) submitted by the client process.
• It is used within blocks of code submitted to SQL Server from a client as a batch or script.
• T-SQL functions are used as expressions within check constraints.
• T-SQL code is used within batches of code that have been packaged within SQL Server as stored procedures, functions, or triggers.

Truth be told, this book has been ...