"Fill In The Blank"

We've been plannin' this weekend for a week and a half
Hope you ain't thinkin' that we're movin' too fast
This trip can be whatever you want it to
I'll pick where we go and you can pick what we do
We could
In the water, in the truck
On a blanket 'til the sun comes up
With each other on the river bank
Yeah I'll leave it up to you, baby fill in the blank
I know a little spot thirty miles outta town
We can do what we want, won't be nobody around
I love hanging with your friends and your family too
But there's some things that only two people should do
We could
In the water, in the truck
On a blanket 'til the sun comes up
With each other on the river bank
Yeah I'll leave it up to you, baby fill in the blank
We could
In the water, in the truck
On a blanket 'til the sun comes up
With each other on the river bank
Yeah I'll leave it up to you, baby
We could
To some music real slow
'Til we can't no more
If the clouds roll in we could, in the rain
Yeah I'll leave it up to you, baby fill in the blank
Yeah the options are endless, baby fill in the blank
Oh Yeah

I’ve been using SQL Server for longer than I care to admit. Let’s just say that I remember the days when Microsoft first released its own version of SQL Server after obtaining the rights to it from Sybase Corporation. That was a long time ago!

Why have I been using SQL Server for such a long time? Quite simply, I believe in its power as a user- and business-friendly database platform that’s readily accessible to users in most modern enterprises. It’s much more powerful than desktop databases such as Microsoft Access, and it’s rapidly gaining market share over the industry leader, Oracle.

SQL Server is unique in that it easily accommodates users with a wide range of experience. If you’re upgrading from Microsoft Access, you’ll find many of SQL Server’s graphical user interfaces friendly and familiar. On the other hand, if you’re a database professional moving from another platform, you’ll find that the ability to directly issue commands to the database accelerates your learning curve.

This blog provides you with an introduction to many of the commonly used features of SQL Server 2008. You’ll find that it’s an excellent starting point for anyone beginning to use SQL Server and offers a great foundation for your database career. Some of the important issues I cover in this blog include:

• Choosing the appropriate edition of SQL Server for your needs
• Orienting yourself to the SQL Server database management tools
• Installing and configuring your first SQL Server 2008 database server
• Designing your first database
• Creating databases and tables in SQL Server 2008
• Imposing constraints on database tables and creating inter-table
• relationships
• Retrieving data from your database with simple and advanced Transact-SQL queries
• Creating basic reports with SQL Server Reporting Services
• Inserting data into your database via manual or bulk insertion
• Using stored procedures, functions and triggers to automate database tasks
• Keeping your database server running smoothly with indexes and partitions
• Limiting resource consumption with SQL Server 2008’s new Resource Governor
• Automating database administration with SQL Server Agent and Maintenance Plans
• Troubleshooting and tuning SQL Server databases
• Protecting your database with security controls, backups, and transactions
• Creating high-availability database solutions for critical IT environments
• Using the Declarative Management Framework to create policies covering multiple SQL Server installations

SQL Server 2008 is the most powerful database product ever released by Microsoft. In this blog, I scratch the surface of this product’s powerful capabilities by providing you with the information you need to get up and running quickly.

Throughout the blog, I apply the following typography conventions to help guide you through some of the information I present:

• Text that appears in this special font is certain to be a URL (Web address), e-mail address, filename, folder name, or code.
• When I use a term that I think you might not be familiar with, I apply italics to that term to let you know that I go on to define it next.
• When I tell you to choose menu commands, I do it like this: Choose File➪Save, which means choose the File command and then choose the Save command. 
• When I want you to type a specific item, I put it in bold text.