Best way to learn SQL and Perl?

Question

Someone else has designed and built our database. Judging by the performance, he's done a great job. But I need to be able to find my way around it, write and run queries, etc. I'm fine with computers and have programmed, but ever since I tried to teach myself MS Access years ago, databases have given me the heebie jeebies. So I need to get past that and learn enough SQL to write my queries etc.

The database is built on MS SQL Server running on MS Server 2003, and the apps round about it address it using a mixture of Perl and dotnet, running on a mixture of Windows and Linux. I don't need to learn dotnet but Perl would be a good one to get into.

So are there any books or references that can help me here?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I work for the largest internet portal in the world...
and we use perl a lot. Besides if you have to maintain perl processes, it's pretty stupid for people to suggest you learn a different language.

I learned perl from the O'Reilly book "learning Perl" It starts out with a little program and then explains the pieces and I found that a much better way to learn the to teach the pieces first. After I got through with it, I wrote a simple black jack game and that really made me pretty fluent.

A Visual Introduction to SQL by Trimble and Chappell is a great book to learn the basics of SQL.

Answer 2

Are you sure you want to learn PERL, it is only really used to create CGI scripts and much of that can now be done using other languages?

Can I suggest you look at PHP or ASP as both of these are used to interact with databases and unless you plan on running SQL command through the SQL client then you will want to use these to produce easy to use interfaces.

I would suggest -

Apache,MYSQL and PHP, Weekend Crash Course by Steven Schafer ISBN 0-7645-4320-2

Clearly, it will take you a bit longer than a weekend (unless you plan on doing nothing else! and only ploughing through the book).

This was the first useful book I use to understand SQL. Which I think it the first criteria. SQL is pretty much the same which every database you are using, it is the administration of those databases that is the difference.

The microsoft books are really badly written and I feel that they are only useful once you know what you are doing. Eventually, you will probably need to read them but do some solid groundwork first and then you will be able to reap the benefit.

The other book that you could use is ASP Made Simple ISBN 0-7506-5869-x. Its cheap, get you up and going quickly but it is full of errors in the code...so it really helps your debugging skills!!

Answer 3

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/default.mspx

i *despise* perl. if you have any sort of managment or administration position at your company, might i suggest you migrate to python or ruby? :)

Answer 4

U can visit this helps u
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/default.msp

Answer 5

visit:

www.perl.org
www.cpan.org