There are a couple of reasons why SQL Server, the system that comprises Database Engine, Analysis Services, Reporting Services and Integration Services is the best choice for a broad spectrum of end users and database programmers building business applications:
- SQL Server is certainly the best system for Windows operating systems, because of its tight integration (and low pricing). Because the number of installed Windows systems is enormous and still increasing rapidly, SQL Server is a widely used system.
- Database Engine, as the relational database system component, is the easiest database system to use. In addition to the well-known user interface, Microsoft offers several different tools to help you create database objects, tune your database applications, and manage system administration tasks.
Goals of the Book
Microsoft SQL Server 2008: A Beginner’s Guide follows three previous editions that covered SQL Server 7, 2000, and 2005.
Generally, all SQL Server users who want to get a good understanding of this database system and to work successfully with it will find this book very helpful. (If you are a new SQL Server user but understand SQL, read the section “Differences Between SQL and Transact-SQL Syntax” later in this introduction.)
This book addresses users of all components of the SQL Server system. For this reason, it is divided into several parts: users who want to learn more about the relational database component called Database Engine will find the first three parts of the book the most useful. The fourth part of the book is dedicated to business intelligence users who use either Analysis Services or relational extensions concerning BI. The last part of the book provides insight for users who want to use XML data and/or spatial data.
SQL Server 2008 New Features Described in the Book
SQL Server 2008 has a lot of new features, and almost all of them are discussed in this book. For each feature, at least one running example is provided to enable you to understand that feature better. The following table lists the chapters that describe new features and provides a brief summary of the new features introduced in each chapter.
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