Microsoft beginning yet practical SQL (Structured Query Language) programming teach-by-practical-diagrams-&-examples illustrated book for database developers, programmers, systems analysts and project managers who are new to relational database and client/server technologies. Also for database developers, database designers and database administrators (DBA), who know some SQL programming and database design, and who wish to refresh & expand their RDBMS development technology horizons. Familiarity with at least one computer programming language, Windows file system & Excel is assumed. Since the book is career advancement oriented, it has a great number of practical SQL queries (over 1,100 SELECT queries) and T-SQL scripts, plenty to learn indeed. The queries are based on historic and current SQL Server sample databases: pubs (PRIMARY KEYs 9, FOREIGN KEYs 10), Northwind (PRIMARY KEYs 13, FOREIGN KEYs 13) and the latest AdventureWorks series. Among them: AdventureWorks, AdventureWorks2008, AdventureWorks2012 (PRIMARY KEYs 71, FOREIGN KEYs 90), & AdventureWorksDW2012 (PRIMARY KEYs 27, FOREIGN KEYs 44). The last one is a data warehouse database. The book teaches through vivid T-SQL queries how to think in terms of sets at a very high level, focusing on set-based operations instead of loops like in procedural programming languages. The best way to master T-SQL programming is to type the query in your own SQL Server Management Studio Query Editor, test it, examine it, change it and study it. Wouldn't it be easier just to copy & paste it? It would, but the learning value would diminish rapidly. You need to feel the SQL language in your DNA. SQL queries must "pour" out from your fingers into the keyboard. Why is knowing SQL queries by heart so important? After all everything can be found on the web so why not just copy & paste? Well not exactly. If you want to be an database development expert, it has to be in your head not on the web. Second, when your supervisor is looking over your shoulder, "Charlie, can you tell me what is the total revenue for March?," you have to be able to type the query without documentation or SQL forum search and provide the results to your superior promptly. The book was designed to be readable in any environment, even on the beach laptop around or no laptop in sight at all. All queries are followed by results row count and /or full/partial results listing in tabular (grid) format. Screenshots are used when dealing with GUI tools such as SQL Server Management Studio. SQL Server 2012 installation, new programming functions, data export and data import presented step by step. Mastery of SQL programming book likely to be sufficient for career advancement as a database developer.