The book is organized into five parts. Part I presents the theoretical material underlying relational databases and SQL. Part II covers interactive SQL retrieval. Part III discusses the creation and management of database structure. It also covers non-data elements in the database environment, such as managing users/user accounts and transaction control. Part IV introduces several techniques for SQL programming: embedded SQL (using a high-level host language), dynamic SQL, and triggers/stored procedures. Part V discusses the non-relational extensions that have been added to the SQL standard: XML and object-relational capabilities. It covers object-oriented concepts, including the differences between pure object-oriented databases and object-relational databases. It also looks at SQL's object-relational features.
- Demonstrates how to formulate SQL queries and how queries are processed to maximize performance of the database management system
- Explains use of SQL to enter, modify or delete data to maintain database structural elements
- Covers in great detail new SQL application for XML to meet the growing XML usage in development of online content