This book can be broken into two distinct parts. The first 546 pages are really for SQL Admin while the remaining pages through 925 are for Developers. Both parts are well worth the read from either perspective. The Appendices apply to both.

Of the eight books currently in print on SQL Server 7 and on my bookshelf this one ranks at the top.

The text flows in an easy to read manner. The illustrations are all legible and placed around the text referencing them. What a breath of fresh air! The CD-ROM actually has useful material on it versus the junk that one usually receives on an accompanying CD.

The book is well organized and presents SQL Server 7 in a manner that maximizes learning. I am giving some very serious thought to using this book as a text for the Masters class that I teach on Database Servers.

Messrs. Otey and Conte have done a superb write. While not the panacea or end all you will be hard pressed to find one single book that accomplishes so very much at an exceptionally affordable price.

Spend the money to buy the book. It belongs on your desk at work. What more can be said?

Regards

As someone new to SQL Server (my company is mainly Oracle), I found this book to be a handy tool. The authors included refreshingly practical explanations and examples for "real-world" enterprise development. Included were extensive details on interfaces, including: OLE DB and ADO; ODBC API (call-level interface); RDO; and VB DAO and ODBCDirect. I found helpful explanations for integrating SQL Server 7 databases with the Web and developing Active Server Pages, which is what I bouhgt the book for.

Of course, this being a book on SQL Server, it is very Microsoft-centric, with examples pointing toward VB and Visual C++, but I expected this.

All in all an excellent resource.

I have been developing database applications with Visual Basic since version 3.0 of the product was released several years ago. When SQL Server 7.0 was released, I needed to find a complete reference guide that would help me. It had to be a well laid out guide with sample code to help me build highly flexible and scaleable SQL database solutions. This book does it! Not only have I used it to develop VB to SQL Server solutions, but MSAccess to SQL Server and believe it or not, VB and MSAccess to Sybase SQL applications!

Because both Sybase and SQL Server understand the Transact SQL format, it was a helpful! The documentation in the book was so good, I have not yet even taken a look at the included CD-ROM!

I want to encourage ANY intermediate to advanced VB/Database developer to buy this book! BUY THIS BOOK FELLOW VBers and Access developers!!!!!