Database: Principles, Programming, and Performance, Second...

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 960 pages
• Published by: Morgan Kaufmann; 2 Sub edition April 28, 2000
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1558604383
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-8178671192
• Book Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 1.8 inches
• Weighs: 3.8 pounds

Product Review
A standard text for database designers and programmers, Database: Principles, Programming, and Performance is out in a new edition. This latest version of the detailed work of the O'Neils includes a new chapter on Object-Relational Structured Query Language (SQL) and its implementations in Oracle and Informix products. On top of that, the authors have revised their chapters on basic and advanced SQL, and added product-specific details (particularly having to do with Oracle, Informix, and IBM DB2 database products) to most areas of their coverage. As a result of these revisions, this book does a great job of balancing academic material with practical examples.

Furthermore, this book does a good job of straddling the schism that's begun to open up in the world of database architecture. Perhaps better than any other volume, this book documents the emerging object-relational strategy for representing data fairly, although most of the authors' coverage (as is fitting) goes to the more firmly established and better-supported relational database model. The authors' style intersperses sequences of theory-oriented prose and diagrams with queries and other listings that have to do with specific implementations, allowing readers to observe many of the phenomena described here. This book is a fine picture of the state of the art, painted with influences from business as well as information science. --David Wall

Topics covered: Modern database design and operation, including basic Structured Query Language (SQL), Object-Relational SQL and the object-relational model, indexing, query parsing, and performance-minded design.

Product Review
"The chapter on object-relational database should be a great selling point for the book. No one else has the coverage on object relational that this chapter has; for example, the other new texts emphasize the purely object model. I think that the approach here is much more practical."

-Betty Salzberg, Northeastern University

"The coverage of this book is wonderful, especially the cutting-edge of object-relational systems . . . [and] this is the only text I have seen that is not by Jeffrey Ullman that treats the theoretical material appropriately. The chapter on dependencies and relational design is excellent. Examples abound, the explanations are crisp and clear, and the appropriate concepts are discussed. I cannot wait to use it."

-Bill Grosky, Wayne State University.

"This book makes an great text for anyone just approaching database systems. It's both an accessible refresher for those of us who have not been paying careful attention to developments in this area and a useful reference for designers and implementers who need just-in-time education."

-Jim Gray
Microsoft Research

"This book is excellent!"

-Mike Hartstein, Oracle Corporation
Senior Director of Oracle8i Product Management -- Review

Reader Reviews
Pros: - many examples - examples for various databases (Oracle, DBQ, etc.) Cons: - poorly written, wordy - difficult to read - gives examples for various databases, but each example does not have a version for each database -> if you want to learn on a specificat database, you will have holes in the examples Overall: Poor book, would not recommend