Copyright
Brief Table of Contents
Table of Contents
MVP authors and their chapters
Preface
Acknowledgments
About Operation Smile
About this book
About the Editors
About SQL Server MVPs
1. Architecture
Chapter 1. Where are my keys?
Keys in the relational model
The debate
The arguments
Pro artificial keys
Pro natural keys
Additional considerations
Natural keys assist the optimizer
Artificial keys are the de facto standard
Modularity, portability, and foreseeing the future
IDENTITY columns may result in value gaps and “run out” of values
Recommendations
Simplicity and aesthetics
Summary
About the author
Chapter 2. “Yes, we are all individuals” A look at uniqueness in the world of SQL
Introducing uniqueness
Constrained to uniqueness
Primary keys
Unique constraints
Unique indexes
Unique constraint or unique index?
Advantages of the unique index
Advantages of the unique constraint
Uniqueness in results
The good and the bad of DISTINCT
DISTINCT or GROUP BY
Are they needed at all?
Unnecessary grouping
Being guided by “that” error