Day 1 . Introduction to SQL and the Query Analyzer

Congratulations, you have decided to learn one of the most widely used computer languages in use around the world today. Because there are many books for you to choose from, I am glad that you chose this one. Sams Teach Yourself Transact-SQL in 21 Days, Second Edition will assist in getting you started on your road to database programming. You will start with the basics and progress to some of the more advanced topics in Transact-SQL or, as most database programmers call it, T-SQL. At the end of the three weeks, you will have everything that you need to access information that is stored in a SQL Server database like a seasoned professional.

This book is going to teach you the basics of the SQL language using many examples, workshops, and screenshots to show you exactly what you should see when doing this on your own computer. In the process, you will also learn a few things about the new SQL Server 2000 and one of its many included tools. The first week covers how to access data on the server by using queries. The second week is about SQL programming concepts and techniques to manipulate data and transaction control. The third and final week covers stored procedures, triggers, and the newer features of user-defined functions and working with BLOBs (Binary Large Objects).

This book will teach you SQL by using examples, both going through them and by showing you the syntax of a statement. Although I must show you the syntax, I will also describe the problem, how to use the statement or statements to solve that problem, and give you the actual example and its explanations.

Today, you will learn the following:

• A brief history of SQL Server

• How SQL is used in real applications

• Getting connected using the New Query Analyzer

• How to write and execute your first SQL query