SQL Quick Guide

http://www.tutorialspoint.com/sql/sql-quick-guide.htm

SQL Tutorial

SQL - Home
SQL - Overview
SQL - RDBMS Concepts
SQL - Databases
SQL - Syntax
SQL - Data Types
SQL - Operators
SQL - Expressions
SQL - Create Database
SQL - Drop Database
SQL - Select Database
SQL - Create Table
SQL - Drop Table
SQL - Insert Query
SQL - Select Query
SQL - Where Clause
SQL - AND & OR Clauses
SQL - Update Query
SQL - Delete Query

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SQL - Like Clause

SQL - Top Clause
SQL - Order By
SQL - Group By
SQL - Distinct Keyword
SQL - Sorting Results

Advanced SQL

SQL - Constraints
SQL - Using Joins
SQL - Unions Clause
SQL - NULL Values
SQL - Alias Syntax
SQL - Indexes
SQL - Alter Command
SQL - Truncate Table
SQL - Using Views
SQL - Having Clause
SQL - Transactions
SQL - Wildcards
SQL - Date Functions
SQL - Temporary Tables
SQL - Clone Tables
SQL - Sub Queries

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SQL - Using Sequences

SQL - Handling Duplicates
SQL - Injection

SQL Useful Resources

SQL - Database Tuning

SQL - Questions and Answers
SQL - Quick Guide
SQL - Useful Functions
SQL - Useful Resources
SQL - Discussion

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SQL is Structured Query Language, which is a computer language for storing, manipulating
and retrieving data stored in relational database.
SQL is the standard language for Relation Database System. All relational database
management systems like MySQL, MS Access, Oracle, Sybase, Informix, postgres and SQL
Server use SQL as standard database language.
Also, they are using different dialects, such as:
MS SQL Server using T-SQL,
Oracle using PL/SQL,
MS Access version of SQL is called JET SQL (native format), etc

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Allows users to access data in relational database management systems.

Allows users to describe the data.
Allows users to define the data in database and manipulate that data.
Allows

to

embed

within

other

languages

using

SQL

modules,

libraries

&

pre-compilers.
Allows users to create and drop databases and tables.
Allows users to create view, stored procedure, functions in a database.
Allows users to set permissions on tables, procedures, and views

RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System. RDBMS is the basis for SQL
and for all modern database systems like MS SQL Server, IBM DB2, Oracle, MySQL, and
Microsoft Access.
A Relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database management system
(DBMS) that is based on the relational model as introduced by E. F. Codd.

The data in RDBMS is stored in database objects called tables. The table is a collection of
related data entries and it consists of columns and rows.
Remember, a table is the most common and simplest form of data storage in a relational
database.

Every table is broken up into smaller entities called fields. The fields in the CUSTOMERS
table consist of ID, NAME, AGE, ADDRESS and SALARY.
A field is a column in a table that is designed to maintain specific information about every
record in the table.

A record, also called a row of data, is each individual entry that exists in a table. For
example, there are 7 records in the above CUSTOMERS table.

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A record is a horizontal entity in a table.

A column is a vertical entity in a table that contains all information associated with a specific
field in a table.

A NULL value in a table is a value in a field that appears to be blank which means A field
with a NULL value is a field with no value.
It is very important to understand that a NULL value is different than a zero value or a field
that contains spaces. A field with a NULL value is one that has been left blank during record
creation.

Constraints are the rules enforced on data columns on table. These are used to limit the
type of data that can go into a table. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data in
the database.
Constraints could be column level or table level. Column level constraints are applied only to
one column where as table level constraints are applied to the whole table.

SQL is followed by unique set of rules and guidelines called Syntax. This tutorial gives you a
quick start with SQL by listing all the basic SQL Syntax:
All the SQL statements start with any of the keywords like SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE,
DELETE, ALTER, DROP, CREATE, USE, SHOW and all the statements end with a semicolon
(;).
Important point to be noted is that SQL is case insensitive which means SELECT and
select have same meaning in SQL statements but MySQL make difference in table names.
So if you are working with MySQL then you need to give table names as they exist in the
database.

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name;

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SELECT DISTINCT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name;

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name
WHERE CONDITION;

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name
WHERE CONDITION-1 {AND|OR} CONDITION-2;

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name
WHERE column_name IN (val-1, val-2,...val-N);

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name
WHERE column_name BETWEEN val-1 AND val-2;

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name
WHERE column_name LIKE { PATTERN };

SELECT column1, column2....columnN

FROM
table_name
WHERE CONDITION
ORDER BY column_name {ASC|DESC};

SELECT SUM(column_name)
FROM
table_name
WHERE CONDITION
GROUP BY column_name;

SELECT COUNT(column_name)
FROM
table_name

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WHERE

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CONDITION;

SELECT SUM(column_name)
FROM
table_name
WHERE CONDITION
GROUP BY column_name
HAVING (arithematic function condition);

CREATE TABLE table_name(

column1 datatype,
column2 datatype,
column3 datatype,
.....
columnN datatype,
PRIMARY KEY( one or more columns )
);

DROP TABLE table_name;

CREATE UNIQUE INDEX index_name

ON table_name ( column1, column2,...columnN);

ALTER TABLE table_name

DROP INDEX index_name;

DESC table_name;

TRUNCATE TABLE table_name;

ALTER TABLE table_name {ADD|DROP|MODIFY} column_name {data_ype};

ALTER TABLE table_name RENAME TO new_table_name;

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INSERT INTO table_name( column1, column2....columnN)

VALUES ( value1, value2....valueN);

UPDATE table_name
SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2....columnN=valueN
[ WHERE CONDITION ];

DELETE FROM table_name

WHERE {CONDITION};

CREATE DATABASE database_name;

DROP DATABASE database_name;

USE DATABASE database_name;

COMMIT;

ROLLBACK;

Assume variable a holds 10 and variable b holds 20, then:

Show Examples
Operator
+

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Description
Addition - Adds values on either side of the

Example
a + b will give 30

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operator
-

Subtraction - Subtracts right hand operand

from left hand operand
Multiplication - Multiplies values on either
side of the operator
Division - Divides left hand operand by
right hand operand
Modulus - Divides left hand operand by
right hand operand and returns remainder

a - b will give -10

a * b will give 200

b / a will give 2

b % a will give 0

Assume variable a holds 10 and variable b holds 20, then:

Show Examples
Operator

Description

Example

Checks if the values of two operands are

=

equal or not, if yes then condition becomes (a = b) is not true.

true.
Checks if the values of two operands are

!=

equal or not, if values are not equal then

(a != b) is true.

condition becomes true.

Checks if the values of two operands are
<>

equal or not, if values are not equal then

(a <> b) is true.

condition becomes true.

Checks if the value of left operand is
>

greater than the value of right operand, if

(a > b) is not true.

yes then condition becomes true.

Checks if the value of left operand is less
<

than the value of right operand, if yes then (a < b) is true.

condition becomes true.
Checks if the value of left operand is

>=

greater than or equal to the value of right

operand, if yes then condition becomes

(a >= b) is not true.

true.
Checks if the value of left operand is less
<=

than or equal to the value of right operand, (a <= b) is true.

if yes then condition becomes true.

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Checks if the value of left operand is not

!<

less than the value of right operand, if yes

(a !< b) is false.

then condition becomes true.

Checks if the value of left operand is not
!>

greater than the value of right operand, if

(a !> b) is true.

yes then condition becomes true.

Here is a list of all the logical operators available in SQL.

Show Examples
Operator
ALL

AND

ANY

BETWEEN

EXISTS

IN

LIKE

Description
The ALL operator is used to compare a value to all values in another value
set.
The AND operator allows the existence of multiple conditions in an SQL
statement's WHERE clause.
The ANY operator is used to compare a value to any applicable value in the
list according to the condition.
The BETWEEN operator is used to search for values that are within a set of
values, given the minimum value and the maximum value.
The EXISTS operator is used to search for the presence of a row in a specified
table that meets certain criteria.
The IN operator is used to compare a value to a list of literal values that have
been specified.
The LIKE operator is used to compare a value to similar values using wildcard
operators.
The NOT operator reverses the meaning of the logical operator with which it is

NOT

used. Eg: NOT EXISTS, NOT BETWEEN, NOT IN, etc. This is a negate
operator.

OR
IS NULL
UNIQUE

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The OR operator is used to combine multiple conditions in an SQL statement's

WHERE clause.
The NULL operator is used to compare a value with a NULL value.
The UNIQUE operator searches every row of a specified table for uniqueness
(no duplicates).

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SQL has many built-in functions for performing processing on string or numeric data.
Following is the list of all useful SQL built-in functions:
SQL COUNT Function

- The SQL COUNT aggregate function is used to count the

number of rows in a database table.

SQL MAX Function

- The SQL MAX aggregate function allows us to select the

highest (maximum) value for a certain column.

SQL MIN Function

- The SQL MIN aggregate function allows us to select the

lowest (minimum) value for a certain column.

SQL AVG Function

- The SQL AVG aggregate function selects the average value

for certain table column.

SQL SUM Function

- The SQL SUM aggregate function allows selecting the total

for a numeric column.

SQL SQRT Functions
SQL RAND Function

- This is used to generate a square root of a given number.

- This is used to generate a random number using SQL

command.
SQL CONCAT Function

- This is used to concatenate any string inside any SQL

command.
SQL Numeric Functions

- Complete list of SQL functions required to manipulate

numbers in SQL.
SQL String Functions

- Complete list of SQL functions required to manipulate

strings in SQL.
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