Chapter 11
Projecting Data Through Views
In This Chapter
Planning Views Wisely
Creating Views with Management Studio or DDL
Updating Through Views
Considering Performance and Views
Using Nesting Views
Exploring Security through Views
Learning Synonyms
A view is the saved text of a T-SQL SELECT statement that may be referenced as a data source within a query, similar to how a subquery can be used as a data source—no more, no less. A view cannot be executed by itself; it must be used within a query.
Views are sometimes described as “virtual tables.” This isn't an accurate description because all views do not store any data. Views that are indexed are materialized and actually store data. If they are not indexed, they are like any other SQL query; views merely refer to the data stored in tables.
With this in mind, you need to fully understand how views work, the pros and cons of using views, and the best place to use views within your project architecture.
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