Book Image

Learn T-SQL Querying - Second Edition

By : Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud
Book Image

Learn T-SQL Querying - Second Edition

By: Pedro Lopes, Pam Lahoud

Overview of this book

Data professionals seeking to excel in Transact-SQL (T-SQL) for Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database often lack comprehensive resources. This updated second edition of Learn T-SQL Querying focuses on indexing queries and crafting elegant T-SQL code, catering to all data professionals seeking mastery in modern SQL Server versions and Azure SQL Database. Starting with query processing fundamentals, this book lays a solid foundation for writing performant T-SQL queries. You’ll explore the mechanics of the Query Optimizer and Query Execution Plans, learning how to analyze execution plans for insights into current performance and scalability. Through dynamic management views (DMVs) and dynamic management functions (DMFs), you’ll build diagnostic queries. This book thoroughly covers indexing for T-SQL performance and provides insights into SQL Server’s built-in tools for expedited resolution of query performance and scalability issues. Further, hands-on examples will guide you through implementing features such as avoiding UDF pitfalls, understanding predicate SARGability, Query Store, and Query Tuning Assistant. By the end of this book, you‘ll have developed the ability to identify query performance bottlenecks, recognize anti-patterns, and skillfully avoid such pitfalls.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Query Processing Fundamentals
4
Part 2: Dos and Don’ts of T-SQL
9
Part 3: Assembling Our Query Troubleshooting Toolbox

Technical requirements

The examples used in this chapter are designed for use on SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL Database, but they should work on any version of SQL Server, 2012 or later. The Developer edition of SQL Server is free for development environments and can be used to run all the code samples. There is also a free tier of Azure SQL Database that you can use for testing at https://aka.ms/freedb.

You will need the AdventureWorks2016_EXT (referred to as AdventureWorks) and AdventureWorksDW2016_EXT (referred to as AdventureWorksDW) sample databases, which can be found on GitHub at https://github.com/Microsoft/sql-server-samples/releases/tag/adventureworks. Code samples for this chapter can also be found on GitHub at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Learn-T-SQL-Querying-Second-Edition/tree/main/ch12.