Developer’s T-SQL Playbook
Query performance directly impacts application speed and infrastructure costs—and most developers aren’t writing optimal T-SQL. This playbook cuts through theory to show you the patterns that actually work, with real-world examples you’ll use immediately.
AIU.ac Verdict: Ideal for backend developers and data engineers who write SQL daily but want to stop guessing about performance. The 2-hour format is tight—you’ll get actionable techniques, not deep architectural theory, so expect practical wins over comprehensive coverage.
What This Course Covers
The course walks through essential T-SQL patterns: query execution plans, indexing strategy, common performance pitfalls, and how to diagnose slow queries before they hit production. Conery focuses on the decisions developers actually face—when to denormalise, how to structure joins, and why your WHERE clause matters more than you think.
You’ll work through hands-on labs in Pluralsight’s sandbox environment, writing queries against real datasets and seeing execution plans change as you optimise. The playbook approach means each module is self-contained; you can revisit specific techniques when you need them in your own projects.
Who Is This Course For?
Ideal for:
- Backend developers writing SQL daily: You’ll immediately apply these patterns to your existing queries and see measurable performance gains.
- Data engineers building pipelines: Query optimisation directly reduces ETL runtime and infrastructure spend—critical for scaling.
- Developers moving from ORMs to raw SQL: Learn why your generated queries are slow and how to write better T-SQL without the abstraction layer.
May not suit:
- SQL Server DBAs: This is developer-focused; you’ll already know most patterns. Better suited to someone new to database administration.
- Beginners with no SQL experience: Assumes working knowledge of SELECT, WHERE, and JOIN syntax. Start with fundamentals first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Developer’s T-SQL Playbook take?
2 hours 6 minutes. It’s designed for busy developers—short enough to complete in one sitting, practical enough to reference later.
Do I need SQL Server installed locally?
No. Pluralsight provides sandbox environments with hands-on labs built in, so you can code immediately without setup.
Will this help with other SQL databases like PostgreSQL?
Most optimisation principles transfer, but this is T-SQL-specific. Syntax and execution plans differ across databases.
Is this course still current?
Pluralsight updates courses regularly. Core query optimisation patterns are timeless, though check the last-updated date for SQL Server version specifics.
Course by Rob Conery on Pluralsight. Duration: 2h 6m. Last verified by AIU.ac: March 2026.
