A Guide to SQL Standard

If you are a newbie looking how to make a Select statement work, this probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you are experienced and want a book to help you understand how and why many DB's function like they do...buy this

Not a beginners book, I choose it never the less. It helped me not to use nonstandard SQL features, so that my code runs with different databases. Still there seems to be no standard of how to get data about the database engine or the table configuration, so some code seems to remain individual. The book is from a standards thinking author, which means very formalistic. One nees to like this to like this book. But anyhow, the book is very profesionally written and to recommend. One needs serveral books about the same topic anyway.

If you're a beginner, get a ["...For Dummies"] book. Ifhowever, you're looking to understand the internals of SQL and what iscommon to all relational databases, this is the book (if you wanttheory, I suggest 'Foundations of Databases' - Abiteboul, Hull, and Vianu, which is THE definitive book on the foundations and theory of database systems). This is after all what developers refer to when implementing a database that understands SQL(okay, I mean good developers, not the 'cut and paste' guys who make their living on other people's code without understanding how it works).

Varied DBMS products do tend to limit portability applications if not answered well. ISO/ANSI SQL compliance at current standard is key. Best Bet!

With so many different DBMS products on the market it is very important to be able to write database applications easily portable from one to another. The key to this portability is writing in compliance to the ISO/ANSI SQL standard. This book has been able to answer almost every my question! I can hardly say that for any other computer book.