SQL Server 2005, released in November 2006, is the successor to SQL Server 2000. It included native support for managing XML data, in addition to relational data. For this purpose, it defined an xml data type that could be used either as a data type in database columns or as literals in queries. XML columns can be associated with XSD schemas; XML data being stored is verified against the schema. XML is converted to an internal binary data type before being stored in the database. Specialized indexing methods were made available for XML data. XML data is queried using XQuery; SQL Server 2005 added some extensions to the T-SQL language to allow embedding XQuery queries in T-SQL.


The Microsoft .NET Framework is a software technology that is available with several Microsoft Windows operating systems.

As for books, Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2005: T-SQL Querying (Solid Quality Learning) A comprehensive, hands-on reference for database developers and administrators, this book focuses on advanced querying techniques using Transact-SQL (T-SQL), the database programming language built into SQL Server. Includes code and table examples.

Answered by Keshto Patel , an ibibo Master, at 7:28 PM on September 05, 2008

Well , You only need SQLserver 2005 to learn it.

You can use it with Java or .Net as front end.

Some of the best Sql server 2005 books are:

1) Joe Stagner, "Microsoft's Opinionated Misfit Geek,"
2) Stephen Rosenbach, Maryland Access/Visual Basic Users Group
3) Wallace C. Allison, Birmingham Software Developers Association
4) Pat Byrne Jr, Lower Alabama .NET User Group

Answered by Alok Gupta , an ibibo Guru, at 6:38 PM on September 05, 2008