If you are reading this book, you probably know about T-SQL. T-SQL, also known as Transact-SQL, is
Microsoft’s implementation of the Structured Query Language (SQL) for SQL Server. T-SQL is the
language that is most often used to extract or modify data stored in a SQL Server database, regardless of
which application or tool you use. SQL Server 2012 T-SQL is based on standards created by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI), but Microsoft has added several functionality enhancements. You
will find that T-SQL is a very versatile and powerful programming language.
T-SQL consists of Data Definition Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML)
statements. This book focuses primarily on the DML statements, which you will use to retrieve and
manipulate data. The book also covers DDL statements, which you will use to create and manage
objects. You will learn about table creation, for example, in Chapter 9.
In this chapter, you will learn how to install a free edition of SQL Server and get it ready for running
the example code and performing the exercises in the rest of the book. This chapter also gives you a
quick tour of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and introduces a few concepts to help you become
a proficient T-SQL programmer.
