SQL Queries for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL, Second Edition

4. Creating a Simple Query

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”

—William Butler Yeats

Topics Covered in This Chapter

Introducing SELECT The SELECT Statement A Quick Aside: Data versus Information Translating Your Request into SQL Eliminating Duplicate Rows Sorting Information Saving Your Work Sample Statements Summary Problems for You to Solve

Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the history of SQL, it’s time to jump right in and learn the language itself. As we mentioned in the Introduction, we’re going to spend most of this book covering the data manipulation portion of the language. So our initial focus will be on the true workhorse of SQL—the SELECT statement.