Learning SQL

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Learning SQL

By: Alan Beaulieu
Publisher:: O'Reilly Media
Released:: August 2005
Pages:: 312

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Description

This introductory guide gets you up and running on SQL in short order. A series of helpful chapter exercises teaches you how to generate, manipulate, and retrieve the data stored in your organization's database. Ideal for anyone writing applications, performing administrative tasks, or generating reports.

Full Description

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a standard programming language for generating, manipulating, and retrieving information from a relational database. If you're working with a relational database--whether you're writing applications, performing administrative tasks, or generating reports--you need to know how to interact with your data. Even if you are using a tool that generates SQL for you, such as a reporting tool, there may still be cases where you need to bypass the automatic generation feature and write your own SQL statements.

To help you attain this fundamental SQL knowledge, look to Learning SQL, an introductory guide to SQL, designed primarily for developers just cutting their teeth on the language.

Learning SQL moves you quickly through the basics and then on to some of the more commonly used advanced features. Among the topics discussed:

The history of the computerized database
SQL Data Statements--those used to create, manipulate, and retrieve data stored in your database; example statements include select, update, insert, and delete
SQL Schema Statements--those used to create database objects, such as tables, indexes, and constraints
How data sets can interact with queries
The importance of subqueries
Data conversion and manipulation via SQL's built-in functions
How conditional logic can be used in Data Statements

Best of all, Learning SQL talks to you in a real-world manner, discussing various platform differences that you're likely to encounter and offering a series of chapter exercises that walk you through the learning process. Whenever possible, the book sticks to the features included in the ANSI SQL standards. This means you'll be able to apply what you learn to any of several different databases; the book covers MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle Database, but the features and syntax should apply just as well (perhaps with some tweaking) to IBM DB2, Sybase Adaptive Server, and PostgreSQL.

Put the power and flexibility of SQL to work. With Learning SQL you can master this important skill and know that the SQL statements you write are indeed correct.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 A Little Background
1. Introduction to Databases
2. What Is SQL?
3. What Is MySQL?
4. What's in Store
Chapter 2 Creating and Populating a Database
1. Creating a MySQL Database
2. Using the mysql Command-Line Tool
3. MySQL Data Types
4. Table Creation
5. Populating and Modifying Tables
6. When Good Statements Go Bad
7. The Bank Schema
Chapter 3 Query Primer
1. Query Mechanics
2. Query Clauses
3. The select Clause
4. The from Clause
5. The where Clause
6. The group by and having Clauses
7. The order by Clause
8. Exercises
Chapter 4 Filtering
1. Condition Evaluation
2. Building a Condition
3. Condition Types
4. NULL: That Four-Letter Word
5. Exercises
Chapter 5 Querying Multiple Tables
1. What Is a Join?
2. Joining Three or More Tables
3. Self-Joins
4. Equi-Joins Versus Non-Equi-Joins
5. Join Conditions Versus Filter Conditions
6. Exercises
Chapter 6 Working with Sets
1. Set Theory Primer
2. Set Theory in Practice
3. Set Operators
4. Set Operation Rules
5. Exercises
Chapter 7 Data Generation, Conversion, and Manipulation
1. Working with String Data
2. Working with Numeric Data
3. Working with Temporal Data
4. Conversion Functions
5. Exercises
Chapter 8 Grouping and Aggregates
1. Grouping Concepts
2. Aggregate Functions
3. Generating Groups
4. Group Filter Conditions
5. Exercises
6. 8-4 (Extra Credit)
Chapter 9 Subqueries
1. What Is a Subquery?
2. Subquery Types
3. Noncorrelated Subqueries
4. Correlated Subqueries
5. When to Use Subqueries
6. Subquery Wrap-up
7. Exercises
Chapter 10 Joins Revisited
1. Outer Joins
2. Cross Joins
3. Natural Joins
4. Exercises
Chapter 11 Conditional Logic
1. What Is Conditional Logic?
2. The Case Expression
3. Case Expression Examples
4. Exercises
Chapter 12 Transactions
1. Multiuser Databases
2. What Is a Transaction?
Chapter 13 Indexes and Constraints
1. Indexes
2. Constraints

Appendix A ER Diagram for Example Database
Appendix B MySQL Extensions to the SQL Language
1. Select Extensions
2. Combination Insert/Update Statements
3. Ordered Updates and Deletes
4. Multitable Updates and Deletes
Appendix C Solutions to Exercises
1. Chapter 3
2. Chapter 4
3. Chapter 5
4. Chapter 6
5. Chapter 7
6. Chapter 8
7. 8-4 (Extra Credit)
8. Chapter 9
9. Chapter 10
10. Chapter 11
Appendix D Further Resources
1. Advanced SQL
2. Database Programming
3. Database Design
4. Database Tuning
5. Database Administration
6. Report Generation
Colophon

Product Details

Title:

Learning SQL

By:

Alan Beaulieu

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print Release:

August 2005

Ebook Release:

February 2009

Pages:

312

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-00727-0

| ISBN 10:

0-596-00727-2

Ebook ISBN:

978-0-596-10495-5

| ISBN 10:

0-596-10495-2

Customer Reviews

About the Author

Alan Beaulieu

Alan Beaulieu has been designing, building, and implementing custom database applications for over 13 years. He currently runs his own consulting company that specializes in designing Oracle databases and supporting services in the fields of Financial Services and Telecommunications. In building large databases for both OLTP and OLAP environments, Alan utilizes such Oracle features as Parallel Query, Partitioning, and Parallel Server. Alan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Research from the Cornell University School of Engineering. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters and can be reached at albeau_mosql@yahoo.com.

View Alan Beaulieu's full profile page.

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O'Reilly Books & Videos

Learning SQL

Chapter 1 A Little Background

Introduction to Databases

What Is SQL?

What Is MySQL?

What's in Store

Chapter 2 Creating and Populating a Database

Creating a MySQL Database

Using the mysql Command-Line Tool

MySQL Data Types

Table Creation

Populating and Modifying Tables

When Good Statements Go Bad

The Bank Schema

Chapter 3 Query Primer

Query Mechanics

Query Clauses

The select Clause

The from Clause

The where Clause

The group by and having Clauses

The order by Clause

Exercises

Chapter 4 Filtering

Condition Evaluation

Building a Condition

Condition Types

NULL: That Four-Letter Word

Exercises

Chapter 5 Querying Multiple Tables

What Is a Join?

Joining Three or More Tables

Self-Joins

Equi-Joins Versus Non-Equi-Joins

Join Conditions Versus Filter Conditions

Exercises

Chapter 6 Working with Sets

Set Theory Primer

Set Theory in Practice

Set Operators

Set Operation Rules

Exercises

Chapter 7 Data Generation, Conversion, and Manipulation

Working with String Data

Working with Numeric Data

Working with Temporal Data

Conversion Functions

Exercises

Chapter 8 Grouping and Aggregates

Grouping Concepts

Aggregate Functions

Generating Groups

Group Filter Conditions

Exercises

8-4 (Extra Credit)

Chapter 9 Subqueries

What Is a Subquery?

Subquery Types

Noncorrelated Subqueries

Correlated Subqueries

When to Use Subqueries

Subquery Wrap-up

Exercises

Chapter 10 Joins Revisited

Outer Joins

Cross Joins

Natural Joins

Exercises

Chapter 11 Conditional Logic

What Is Conditional Logic?

The Case Expression

Case Expression Examples

Exercises

Chapter 12 Transactions

Multiuser Databases

What Is a Transaction?

Chapter 13 Indexes and Constraints

Indexes

Constraints