Professional SQL Server™ 2005 Programming

2.1. Books Online

Is Books Online a tool? I think so. Let's face it: It doesn't matter how many times you read this or any other book on SQL Server; you're not going to remember everything you'll ever need to know about SQL Server. SQL Server is one of my mainstay products, and I still can't remember it all. Books Online is simply one of the most important tools you're going to find in SQL Server.

Here's a simple piece of advice: Don't even try to remember it all. Remember that what you've seen is possible. Remember what is an integral foundation to what you're doing. Remember what you work with every day. Then remember to build a good reference library (starting with this book) for the rest.

As you see in Figure 2-1, Books Online in SQL Server uses the updated .NET online help interface, which is replacing the older standard online help interface used among the Microsoft technical product line (Back Office, MSDN, Visual Studio).

Figure 2.1. Figure 2-1

Everything works pretty much as one would expect here, so I'm not going to go into the details of how to operate a help system. Suffice it to say that SQL Server Books Online is a great quick reference that follows you to whatever machine you're working on at the time. Books Online also has the added benefit of often having information that is more up to date than the printed documentation.

NOTE

Technically speaking, it's quite ...