Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 High-Performance T-SQL Using Window Functions

Foreword

SQL is a very interesting programming language. When meeting with customers, I am constantly reminded of the language’s dual nature with regard to complexity. Many people getting started with SQL see it as a simple programming language that supports four basic verbs: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. Some people never get much further than this. Maybe a few more figure out how to filter rows in a query using the WHERE clause and perhaps do the occasional JOIN. However, those who spend more time with SQL and learn about its declarative, relational, and set-based model will find a rich programming language that keeps you coming back for more.

One of the most fundamental additions to the SQL language, back in Microsoft SQL Server 2005, ...