Wrox - SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Starter Kit

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SSE) is the desktop version of Microsoft’s very popular SQL Server 2005 database product. SSE is free to use and redistribute and is packed with easy to use features. Microsoft has taken big steps in making SSE approachable and usable by all types of developers, from beginners to advanced users. Also all editions of Visual Studio 2005 accommodate SSE naturally in the project system so that developers will find it much easier to build and deploy local data applications with SQL Server by using SSE. If you want to understand how to use the free version of one of the world’s most popular and powerful databases, then this book is for you.

Who Should Read This Book

This book assumes you have very little background with either databases or programming. You may never have created a single application of any kind. Alternatively, you may have only created simple databases in Access. No prior programming experience is required, but you should have an aptitude for working with software and a desire to learn. If you have a desire to learn and an interest in storing information in a database—and in creating drop-dead simple applications to work with the data—this book has a lot to offer. The step-by-step samples cover all the major scenarios SSE is designed for, from installation and development to debugging and deployment. Alternatively, if you are a more experienced developer, you may find this book useful because it describes a number of new features that are unique to SSE that make working with SSE much easier than with its predecessor, MSDE. You get an insight into the SSE design and architecture from the authors who are intimately involved in the creation of many of these features. In addition, you will find useful information about the various deployment and programmatic features that are not properly documented.