SQL Server 2005 useful info [includes links to download it]

[si_the_geek]

Useful (free) downloads:

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SP 1) (a free version of SQL Server!)

SQL Server 2005 Books Online (the help files for all editions of 2005, in various languages)

Management Studio Express. (graphical management tool for the Express Edition).
An unofficial alternative is Toad

Native Client (OLE DB provider and ODBC driver, to make best use of 2005 features from your applications)

Other official downloads can be found here.

And some useful links I've found on my travels, or been told about by forum members:

SQL Server 2005 Features Comparison (compares the features in different Editions)

Video Series: SQL Server 2005 Express Edition for Beginners

Using SQL Server 2005 Express from Visual Basic 6

The Fundamentals of the SQL Server 2005 XML Datatype

Introducing SQL Service Broker Part 1 (messaging between applications and BizTalk). [by our own Sgt-Peppa]

Avoid using the ntext, text, and image data types (Use nvarchar(max), varchar(max), and varbinary(max) instead)

Cross Apply with Table Value Functions


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