Chapter 7: Selecting the Data You Need

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Overview

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Select data from single and multiple tables

• Design and use scalar user -defined functions

• Use system functions

• Design and use stored procedures that return scalar values

• Use the XML datatype

Databases store information. This chapter will show you how to build sentences to retrieve data from databases. The chapter starts by presenting simple Transact-SQL (T-SQL) SELECT statements. Next will follow information about using inner and outer joins for retrieving data from multiple tables. The chapter ends by examining XPATH and XQUERY statements for handling data in XML format. Since it is important to know how to obtain the right data in the most efficient manner, the chapter will also discuss performance issues along the way.