SQL Language — A 2-Day Course
Synopsis
SQL is an industry-standard language for accessing mainframe, midrange and LAN-based, multi-user relational databases. This course will teach the student how to read and write good SQL for querying, updating and maintaining SQL databases. The course progresses through the elements of the language to build a thorough appreciation and understanding of SQL's capabilities and power. It covers ANSI-standard SQL and some of the common extensions.
This course is made up of a mix of theory and practical sessions. You will complete a series of exercises that cover all the important components of the language and allow you to practise your SQL.
Course Objectives
After attending this course, delegates will be able to:
- Describe where the SQL language came from and its set-based mode of operation
- Write SQL statements to create and manipulate database objects and data
- Read SQL effectively
- Write queries to join many related tables
- Use the features of the language to safeguard the data and its value to the user
- Recognise the dangers inherent in the language that may return the right result but would be fatally flawed with different data
Intended Audience
Anyone wishing to use SQL to access data.
Prerequisites
A degree of computer literacy is needed. Typically delegate skills will include a working familiarity with the Windows graphical environment but no prior knowledge of SQL. The most successful students on this course are those who can type accurately and consistently, and can cope with 'syntax' as SQL is a syntactically 'fussy' language. Typically delegates will have coded in some other language but it is not necessary to have done so to be successful on this course. The range of exercises allows students to work at the most approriate pace for them.
Publicly scheduled dates, locations, and prices
London — £880 (+VAT)
- 18–19 Mar 2010
- 8–9 Apr 2010
- 19–20 Apr 2010
- 13–14 May 2010
- 14–15 Jun 2010
- 22–23 Jul 2010
- 19–20 Aug 2010
- 20–21 Sep 2010
- 18–19 Oct 2010
- 15–16 Nov 2010
- 20–21 Dec 2010
Birmingham — £880 (+VAT)
- 6–7 Apr 2010
- 10–11 May 2010
- 9–10 Aug 2010
- 8–9 Nov 2010
Manchester — £880 (+VAT)
- 8–9 Apr 2010
- 28–29 Jun 2010
- 20–21 Sep 2010
Leeds — £880 (+VAT)
- 2–3 Sep 2010
Edinburgh — £880 (+VAT)
- 10–11 May 2010
- 2–3 Aug 2010
- 6–7 Dec 2010
Glasgow — £880 (+VAT)
- 29–30 Mar 2010
- 5–6 Jul 2010
- 3–4 Nov 2010
Outline Course Contents
Introduction to Relational Databases
- The need for an SQL standard
- The ANSI standards
- What is a database?
- What is a relational database?
- Components of a relational database
- Normalised data
- Anatomy of a table
- Primary and foreign keys
- Joins
- Components of SQL
Data Manipulation Language
- SELECT operations
- DISTINCT
- Virtual columns
- Column aliases
- Functions
- Restricting the rows returned
- Multiple conditions
- Ordering data
- Inserting rows
- Updating rows
- Deleting rows
Joining tables
- The theory of joining tables
- Cross, Inner, Outer, Full, Left and Right
- Composite joins
- Table aliases
- SQL92 and SQL89 Join syntax
Data Definition Language
- Data types
- Column attributes
- Create table
- Primary and foreign keys
- Referential integrity
- Alter and drop tables
Views
- Defining simple views
- Views with virtual columns
- Restricted-column views
- Joined-table views
- Restricted-row views
- View restrictions
Summarised Queries
- Table aggregates
- GROUP BY and aggregates
- The HAVING clause
Subqueries
- Using simple Subqueries
- EXISTS
- Correlated Subqueries
Further Data Manipulation Language
- Unions
- Self joins
Data Control Language
- Identifying users
- Setting privileges
- GRANT and REVOKE
