Book excerpt: Teaching the SQL skills that businesses demand when hiring programmers If you're a SQL beginner, you don't just want to learn SQL basics, you also want to get some practical SQL skills you can use in the job market. This book gives you both. Covering the basics through intermediate topics with clear explanations, hands-on exercises, and helpful solutions, this book is the perfect introduction to SQL. Topics include both the current SQL:2008 standards, the upcoming SQL:2011 standards, and also how to use SQL against current releases of the most popular commercial SQL databases, such as Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL. Introduces SQL concepts, explains SQL statements, and clearly shows how to write efficient and effective SQL code Uses a hands-on style and a sample database that incorporates all SQL concepts taught in the book; this database will be enhanced through the book as key points and lessons are covered Covers topics such as how SQL interacts with the sample database via various interfaces, including vendor-provided utilities, programming languages, SQL clients, and productivity software Includes appendices with primers on database normalization, set theory and bollean algebra, RDBMS software step-by-step setup guides, and database connectivity Learn how to write effective, efficient SQL code with Discovering SQL: A Hands-On Guide for Beginners.