I’m after a beginners SQL book for Microsoft servers, any ideas or is the dummies book anygood?

Cheers

From a programming perspective, or install/config/administration?

Writing queries on the behalf of clients to interrogate their database.

Try the Que books – I’ve used many of them in the past and they’re very good for self teaching

I’d also try google and MSDN http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/default.aspx

Ok, you have to sift a bit, however it’s free and there are some real gems knocking about.

Beginning SQL?

Always found this publisher to be very good.

I have ‘SQL for Dummies’ somewhere – didn’t get past the first page
there’s only one thing more boring than SQL and that’s reading about SQL

Personally I wouldn’t bother buying a book, though that might be just me. There are plenty of resources around on the net. Try starting at http://www.w3schools.com/ they have good beginners guides to most things code. Otherwise I find MSDN very good, but you need to know what you are looking for.

Main thing, though, is to just jump in and start writing code. Only way you’ll really learn both SQL code and also the database you are querying.

I use various SQL forums. Some you have to join, others not. Helped me out on numerous occasions and a good source of information if only to try things out.