Beginning SQL Server 2012 for Developers

C H A P T E R  11

Building a View

A view is a virtual table that, in itself, doesn't contain any data or information. All it contains is the query that the user defines when creating the view. A view is a named query against one or more tables. Views are used as a security measure by restricting users to certain columns or rows from an underlying table, as a method of joining data from multiple tables and presenting it as if that data resided in one table, and as a method of returning summary data instead of detailed data. Another use for a view is to provide a method of accessing the underlying data in a manner that provides the end user with a business layout. For example, you will see within this chapter the building of a view that shows ...