REVIEW: Real MCTS SQL Server 2008 70-433 Database Design Prep Kit

Available from: Amazon UK

The Real MCTS SQL Server 2008 Exam 70-433 Database Design Prep Kit

by

Mike Horninger

Main Details

Published by: Syngress

Publication Date: 2009

RRP:

Overview

Chapters include:-

1. New Features in SQL Server 2008
2. Implementing Objects
3. Programming Objects
4. Using the CLR
5. Implementing Error Handling
6. Implementing Transactions
7. Working with DML Queries
8. Using Advanced Functionality with DML
9. Working with Multiple-Source Queries
10. Demystifying Data Types
11. Explaining Advanced Query Techniques
12. Explaining XML
13. Performance Tuning

Companion website (http://www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp?ISBN=9781597494212) contains appendix with other components and more detailed answers to the self-test questions in the book.

Review

Downside

• a few inconsistencies and spelling errors, but not as much as in the MS Press 70-432 Training Kit
• order of the chapters does not appear to be logical e.g data types is chapter 10, long after creating tables (chapter 2) and CLR (astoundingly early, in chapter 4)
• prep book rather than a prep kit - no CD or anything. Companion website has a pdf of the questions in more detail
• contains elements that wouldn't have thought would be on the exam e.g. blocking (should be in the 70-432 exam instead)

Upside

• seems to be very thorough on each of the topics
• each chapter is self-contained
• easy readable style
• layout of each chapter is consistent (unlike the MS Press 70-432 Training Kit)
• plenty of practice questions at the end of each chapter

Conclusion

The lack of a CD for the practice questions is a little disappointing, given the title of the book. However, if the order of the chapters were changed to be more progressive, then this would make a very good textbook introduction to SQL Server 2008 database development.

It looked like there were some topics missed out (e.g. LINQ and Full Text Searching), but it turns out there is an appendices on the companion website which covers these topics. It's a bit annoying that they were not included in the printed form as it's another 130 pages for appendix A. So it looks like this covers everything after all. It seems to be a very good book - I think I'll waive the MS Press version and get stuck into some heavy studying.

http://www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp?ISBN=9781597494212