SQL QuickStart Guide

Walter Shields

Description

THE BEST SQL BOOK FOR BEGINNERS - HANDS DOWN!

*INCLUDES FREE ACCESS TO A SAMPLE DATABASE, SQL BROWSER APP, COMPREHENSION QUIZES & SEVERAL OTHER DIGITAL RESOURCES!*
 
The same book currently in used in college-level courses while remaining approachable for beginners!
 
Not sure how to prepare for the data-driven future?
  This book shows you EXACTLY what you need to know to successfully use the SQL programming language to enhance your career!

Are you a developer who wants to expand your mastery to database management?
  Then you NEED this book. Buy now and start reading today!
 
Are you a project manager who needs to better understand your development team’s needs? A decision maker who needs to make deeper data-driven analysis?
  Everything you need to know is included in these pages!
 
The ubiquity of big data means that now more than ever there is a burning need to warehouse, access, and understand the contents of massive databases quickly and efficiently.
 
That’s where SQL comes in.
 
SQL is the workhorse programming language that forms the backbone of modern data management and interpretation.
 
Any database management professional will tell you that despite trendy data management languages that come and go, SQL remains the most widely used and most reliable to date, with no signs of stopping. In this comprehensive guide, experienced mentor and SQL expert Walter Shields draws on his considerable knowledge to make the topic of relational database management accessible, easy to understand, and highly actionable.
 
SQL QuickStart Guide is ideal for those seeking to increase their job prospects and enhance their careers, for developers looking to expand their programming capabilities, or for anyone who wants to take advantage of our inevitably data-driven future—even with no prior coding experience!
 

SQL QuickStart Guide is Perfect For: 

• Professionals looking to augment their job skills in preparation for a data-driven future
• Job seekers who want to pad their skills and resume for a durable employability edge
• Beginners with zero prior experience
• Managers, decision makers, and business owners looking to manage data-driven business insights
• Developers looking to expand their mastery beyond the full stack
• Anyone who wants to be better prepared for our data-driven future!
 

 In SQL QuickStart Guide You’ll Discover:

• The basic structure of databases—what they are, how they work, and how to successfully navigate them 
• How to use SQL to retrieve and understand data no matter the scale of a database (aided by numerous images and examples)
• The most important SQL queries, along with how and when to use them for best effect
• Professional applications of SQL and how to “sell” your new SQL skills to your employer, along with other career-enhancing considerations

  *LIFETIME ACCESS TO FREE SQL RESOURCES*:
  Each book comes with free lifetime access to tons of exclusive online resources to help you master SQL, such as workbooks, cheat sheets and reference guides.
 
  GIVING BACK:
  QuickStart Guides proudly supports One Tree Planted as a reforestation partner. 

Introduction Chapter 1: Understanding Database Structure

Chapter 2: SQL Tools and Strategies

Chapter 3: Exploring a Database in SQLite

Chapter 4: Getting Started with Queries

Chapter 5: Turning Data into Information

Chapter 6: Working with Multiple Tables

Chapter 7: Using Functions

Chapter 8: Subqueries

Chapter 9: Views

Chapter 10: Data Manipulation Languages (DML)

Conclusion

Appendix I

Appendix II

About the Author

About QuickStart Guides

Glossary

References

Index

Sujets

• Data Analytics
• Langages
• Data Science
• Databases
• Computers
• Informatique
• SQL
• Object database
• Language
• Database management system
• Database
• Structured Query Language

Informations

• Publié par: ClydeBank Media LLC
• Date de parution: 19 novembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 46
• EAN13: 9781945051838
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

I would like to give a special thanks to my family Julien, Max, Elke, and Norma.
I couldn’t have written this book without their patience and support.

Contents
Introduction
My Story
Why I Wrote This Book
A Word of Encouragement for the Pure Beginner
The Scope and Focus of This Book
SQL and Your Career
Chapter by Chapter
PART I – Creating Your SQL Learning Environment
| 1 | UNDERSTANDING DATABASE STRUCTURE
Fundamental Terminology
Fundamental Elements of Relational Databases
Types of Data
Relational Database Management Systems
The SELECT Statement
Queries, Statements, Clauses, and Keywords
Introducing SQLite
| 2 | SQL TOOLS AND STRATEGIES
Introducing the sTunes Database
Introducing DB Browser for SQLite
Installing DB Browser for SQLite
How to Test Your SQL Knowledge
Strategies for Success
| 3 | EXPLORING A DATABASE IN SQLITE
Environment Orientation
Opening the sTunes Database
Investigating the Structure of the Database
Viewing the Individual Records
The Execute SQL Tab
Data Analysis Checkpoint
PART II – Writing SQL Statements
| 4 | GETTING STARTED WITH QUERIES
Adding Comments to Queries
The Structure of a Basic Query
Start Writing Your Query
Coding Syntax Versus Coding Convention
Adding an Alias to Your Columns
Using the ORDER BY Clause
Selecting the Top Ten Records Using LIMIT
Data Analysis Checkpoint
| 5 | TURNING DATA INTO INFORMATION
Comparison, Logical, and Arithmetic Operators
Filtering Records by Numbers with the WHERE Clause
Filtering Records by Text
Using the LIKE Operator to Search for Wildcards
Filtering Records by Date
The DATE() Function
Using the AND and OR Operators with Two Separate Fields
The OR Operator
Using Parentheses with AND and OR to Specify the Order of Operations
The CASE Statement
Data Analysis Checkpoint
| 6 | WORKING WITH MULTIPLE TABLES
What Are Joins?
How Joins Interact with Relational Database Structure
Using Joins with an Alias
Join Types and Their Differences
Inner Joins with More Than Two Tables
Using Left Outer Joins with NULL , IS , and NOT
Turning a Right Join into a Left Join
Data Analysis Checkpoint
| 7 | USING FUNCTIONS
Adding Calculations to Your Queries
Types of Functions in SQL
Manipulating Text Data with String Functions
Concatenating Strings of Text
Truncating Text
Additional String Functions
Date Functions
Aggregate Functions
Nesting Functions with the ROUND( ) Function
Using Aggregate Functions with the GROUP BY Clause
Using the WHERE and HAVING Clauses with Grouped Queries
The WHERE Clause Versus the HAVING Clause
Using GROUP BY with Multiple Fields
A Final Word on Functions
Data Analysis Checkpoint
PART III – More Advanced SQL Topics
| 8 | SUBQUERIES
Introduction to Subqueries Using Aggregate Functions
Using a Subquery in the SELECT Statement
Using a WHERE Clause in a Subquery
Subqueries without Aggregate Functions
Returning Multiple Values from a Subquery
Subqueries and the DISTINCT Clause
Data Analysis Checkpoint
| 9 | VIEWS
Turning Previous Queries into Views
Why We Use Views
How to Modify a View
Creating a View from Joins
Removing a View Using the DROP Statement
Data Analysis Checkpoint
| 10 | DATA MANIPULATION LANGUAGE (DML)
Data Analysis Versus Database Management
Inserting Data into a Database
Updating Data and the SET Keyword
Deleting Data
Data Analysis Checkpoint
Conclusion
It Is All About Asking Good Questions
Finding Your Niche
Choosing the Right Database Occupation
Is It All about the Money?
Is SQL Knowledge Universal?
Switching Careers
Selling Your New Skills to Your Company
Beyond SQL: Data Visualization Software
Interview Advice
SQL Certifications
Final Thoughts and Parting Words
Appendix I
Chapter 3 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 4 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 5 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 6 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 7 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 8 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 9 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Chapter 10 Data Analysis Checkpoint
Appendix II
Chapter 4 Keywords
Chapter 5 Keywords
Chapter 6 Keywords
Chapter 7 Keywords
Chapter 8 Keywords
Chapter 9 Keywords
Chapter 10 Keywords
What Did You Think?
About the Author
About ClydeBank Media
Glossary
References

REMEMBER TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE DIGITAL ASSETS!
Introduction
With each passing day—really with each passing second—greater and greater quantities of data are collected. In the time it takes you to finish this sentence, over 500,000 Google search queries will be submitted. 1 In a single minute, over 300 hours of video content will be uploaded to YouTube. 2 Our capacity to store data continues to grow. Meanwhile, smartphones and social media have turned everyday individuals across the globe into a rapidly (exponentially) growing army of data generators, constantly creating new records that reveal our current interests, activities, thoughts, and feelings. Businesses and government agencies of all kinds are accepting the reality that maximum efficiency and maximum profitability cannot be achieved without harnessing the power of data.
See references 3 and 4 in the back of the book
While the volume of data being generated is astounding in its own right, what is truly mind-boggling is that we have only just begun to make use of it all. Only half of a percent of all data collected is ever analyzed. 5 If individuals, businesses, governments, and other organizations were able to make better use of collected data, then the potential upside would be limitless. Profits and efficiency could be increased, marketers could gain more powerful insight into target audiences, and more fraud and crime could be prevented—and that is just the beginning. The shortfall in data analysis contributes to an incredible demand for skilled data-handling professionals. This is where you come in.
You are presumably reading this book because you want to learn SQL (structured query language). You have been perceptive enough to notice the ever-expanding role of data in the world, and you are putting yourself in a position to make the most of it—a very wise decision. Some of you may be studying SQL in a classroom environment, at either the high school or college level. Or perhaps you are a business or government professional looking to develop the skills necessary to carry you forward in your career. Whatever the case may be, this book’s straightforward approach to SQL will prove an invaluable resource.
SQL (properly pronounced “ess-cue-ell,” though “sequel” is commonly heard) is the translation tool that allows everyday individuals, even those without coding experience, to communicate with a database and turn big data into information they can use to make decisions that affect their business for the better. I have been working with SQL and other forms of big data management for eighteen years, but I can still remember what it was like to be a beginner. It took me a while to warm up to data management. When I first learned how to use Microsoft Access, data management was just another node in the IT field, without the hype that surrounds it in the present day. The quantity of data generated was relatively minuscule in light of today’s information overload. Today, every search query made on Google, every post shared on Facebook, and every five-star review in every product category on Amazon is ultimately stored on a server somewhere and is subject to being queried. SQL is the principal analytical tool used to decipher big data, hence the extraordinary demand for individuals trained in the language. The language of data is a language that every modern tech-oriented company speaks to some degree. This book will get you fluent in the language of data.
My Story
My personal road to mastery of SQL began in the late nineties. At the time, opportunities to learn SQL in a formal, institutional setting were quite scarce, as the phenomenon of big data had not come to maturity. In lieu of any real scholastic alternative, I matriculated into the school of hard knocks—I learned SQL by trial and error, mostly error. Even after acquiring a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in management information systems, I did not feel that a formal, academic, and sometimes overly theoretical approach to learning was the best pathway to success in the field of data science—a belief I would confirm after working for over eighteen years in a variety of roles using SQL (as well as other programming languages) to manage data systems across several sectors, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, from law to healthcare to big box retail.
If I have learned anything from both my academic and professional wanderings, it is this: there is a much more practical approach to becoming an invaluable resource in your existing or new career in the world of big data. It does not have to be as difficult for you as it was for me. In fact, it was my desire to distill all the lessons I have learned into a simple, practical, hands-on approach to SQL that led me to write this book.
The enthusiasm I have for teaching is actually a product of family values. I was born in Trinidad, a country you have probably heard of but are perhaps unable to place on the map. It is a tiny dual-island country, known formally as “Trinidad and Tobago,” located at the northern end of the South American continent and the southern end of the Caribbean Sea. Though the Caribbean may be known for cruises, carnivals, soca, and reggae music, life was not all beaches and coconuts.
My mother was both a literature teacher and a high school principal. When she wasn’t at school, she was at home giving piano lessons. She was always sharing ideas, always teaching, and never lacking for students. She considered it a social responsibility to pass her acquired skills and knowledge to others in the c