Book excerpt: Beginning SQL Server for Developers is the perfect book for developers new to SQL Server and planning to create and deploy applications against Microsoft’s market-leading database system for the Windows platform. Now in its fourth edition, the book is enhanced to cover the very latest developments in SQL Server, including the in-memory features that are introduced in SQL Server 2014. Within the book, there are plenty of examples of tasks that developers routinely perform. You’ll learn to create tables and indexes, and be introduced to best practices for securing your valuable data. You’ll learn design tradeoffs and find out how to make sound decisions resulting in scalable databases and maintainable code. SQL Server 2014 introduces in-memory tables and stored procedures. It's now possible to accelerate applications by creating tables (and their indexes) that reside entirely in memory, and never on disk. These new, in-memory structures differ from caching mechanisms of the past, and make possible the extraordinarily swift execution of certain types of queries such as are used in business intelligence applications. Beginning SQL Server for Developers helps you realize the promises of this new feature set while avoiding pitfalls that can occur when mixing in-memory tables and code with traditional, disk-based tables and code. Beginning SQL Server for Developers takes you through the entire database development process, from installing the software to creating a database to writing the code to connect to that database and move data in and out. By the end of the book, you’ll be able to design and create solid and reliable database solutions using SQL Server. Takes you through the entire database application development lifecycle Includes brand new coverage of the in-memory features Introduces the freely-available Express Edition