Title: Best reference
Review: I have found this to be without question the best SQL reference book available.In comparison, the actual standards document is so poorly written as to bewell nigh incomprehensible, assuming you can find a draft of it on the internet-- otherwise it will cost you a fortune to buy. The implication is that wheneverI want to get a comprehensive and intelligible account of the syntax and semanticsof SQL, I turn with confidence to this Date and Darwen book. My only regret is thatthis book is so old that it does not address the many new SQL features introducedsince its first printing. This book is for those who want to know the rules, the details,the rationale behind SQL; I can see that its depth, organization, and sophisticationwould not make it particularly suited for those just starting out (who would probablybe better off with their vendor's documentation for starters). In other words,the book lives up to its title "A Guide To The SQL Standard".
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