Introductory, theory-practice balanced text teaching the fundamentals of databases to advanced undergraduates or graduate students in information systems or computer science.

The aim of this work is to provide a correct and up-to-date understanding of the practical aspects of crucial, yet little- understood core database issues. The author identifies fundamental concepts, principles, and techniques and assesses the treatment of those issues in SQL (both the standard and commercial implementations) and gives advice on how to deal with them. Topics covered include complex data types, missing information, data hierarchies, and quota queries. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR