This comprehensive guide equips software engineers with practical SQL knowledge essential for modern development. It bridges the gap between theoretical database concepts and real-world applications, focusing on performance optimization and best practices. The book provides advanced queries techniques, transaction management, and scaling strategies for high-volume applications. It covers important topics like security, cloud integration, and working with complex data types. Debugging, testing, and common anti-patterns are thoroughly explored to aid readers in crafting robust and efficient SQL code. The guide also discusses the SQL ecosystem, including tools and emerging trends to keep engineers at the forefront of database technology.

The book is divided into 21 chapters:

1. Introduction
2. SQL Fundamentals
3. SQL vs ORMs: Understanding the Trade-offs
4. Mastering SQL Queries
5. Joins: The Heart of SQL
6. Data Modification in SQL
7. Advanced Query Techniques
8. Optimising SQL Performance
9. Transaction Management in SQL
10. SQL and Concurrency
11. Database Design for Software Engineers
12. Working with Complex Data
13. Debugging and Testing SQL Code
14. Security in SQL
15. Scaling SQL for Modern Applications
16. SQL in the Cloud
17. SQL Tools and Ecosystem
18. SQL Anti-Patterns and How to Avoid Them
19. Real-World SQL Use Cases
20. Conclusion
21. Appendices

After reading this book, you will know the following and much more:

• How to write complex, optimized SQL queries that outperform ORM-generated code
• Techniques for efficient join operations and subquery optimization
• Strategies for managing transactions and ensuring data consistency in concurrent environments
• Methods to design and implement scalable database schemas for large-scale applications
• Best practices for securing SQL databases against common threats like SQL injection
• Approaches to debugging, testing, and maintaining SQL code in production environments
• Techniques for working with semi-structured data types like JSON and geographic information
• Strategies for scaling SQL databases horizontally and vertically to meet growing demands
• How to leverage cloud-based SQL services for improved performance and cost-efficiency