BASIC SQL COMMANDS

BASIC SQL
COMMANDS
What is SQL?
• Structured Query Language
• Communicate with databases
• Used to created and edit databases.
• Also
used to create queries, forms, and
reports
Creating Database
The statement to use is create database
Here is the syntax:
create database “databasename”;

Creating Tables
The statement to use is create table
Here is the syntax:
create table “tablename”

(“columnname”[space] “datatype”,
“columnname2” [space] “datatype”,
“columnname3” [space] “datatype”);
Creating Tables cont’d
Here is a real example:
create table employee

(first varchar(15),
last varchar(20),
age number(3),
address varchar(30),
city varchar(20),
state varchar(20));
Creating Tables - Steps
1. Use the command create table
2. Follow it with the correct table name
3. Put a parenthesis and type in the first column
name
4. Follow it with the variable type (we will list them
in a minute) then a comma
5. Continue the previous two steps until you have all
your columns accounted for
6. Then put a parenthesis to close the columnname
section and add a ; after it
Creating Tables - Rules
• Table and column names must start with a letter
• They can not exceed 30 characters
• They can not be key words such as create, insert,
select, etc.
Creating Tables – Data Types
• char(size) - all column entries must be =
size, which you specify at the beginning, if
size = 10 then you must have ten characters
• varchar(size) - all column entries must be
less than or equal to whatever size is, if size
is 10, then the string must be between 1-10
charcters
Creating Tables – Data Types cont’d
• number(size) - a number value that can not
exceed, size columns, for example if you
have size = 10, then you can only have 10
different digit places, like 1,000,000,000
• date - date value
• number(size,d) - This works the same as
the regular number except d represents # of
columns after the decimal.
Creating Tables - Constraints
A constraint is a rule.
Some examples constraints are:
• unique - no two entries will be the same
• not null - no entry can be blank
• **primary key - unique identification of each row**
• primary keys will be very important to you as your
knowledge of databases progresses
Selecting Data
The Select statement is used to get data
which matches the specified criteria. Here is
the basic syntax:
ex)
select “columnname1”, “columnname2”
from “tablename”
where “condition”
Inserting Information into Tables
Here is a practical example:
insert into employees

(first, last, age, address, city, state)
values ( 'Luke', 'Duke', 45, '2130 Boars Nest',
'Hazard Co', 'Georgia');
Steps
**All strings should be enclosed by single

quotes: 'string'**
1. Use the keyword "insert into" followed by the
table name
2. Then on the next line, in parenthesis, list all the
columns you are inserting values for.
3. Then on the line after, type values, then in
parenthesis, put the values in the same order as
the columns they belong to
To insert into tables you need only use the keyword
insert.
Here is the syntax:
insert into "tablename"

(“first_column”, ..., “last_column”)
values (“first_value”, ...,“last value”);
Updating Records
To update records use the "update" statement.
Here is the syntax:
update “tablename”
set “columnname” = “newvalue”,
“nextcolumn” = “newvalue2”, ...
where “columnname” OPERATOR
“value” and|or “columnname2 OPERATOR
“value”
Updating Records cont’d
Here are some practical examples:
ex)
update phone_book
set area_code = 623
where prefix = 979;
This changes the area code all numbers
beginning with 979 to 623
Updating Records cont’d
update phone_book
set last_name = 'Smith', prefix=555,
sufix=9292
where last_name = 'Jones';
This changes everyone whose last name is

Jones
to Smith and their number to 555-9292
Deleting Records
Here is the syntax:
delete from “tablename”

where “columnname” OPERATOR “value”
and|or “columnname2” OPERATOR “value ”
Deleting Records Examples
ex) delete from employees;
deletes all records from that table
ex) delete from employee
where lastname='May';
deletes all records for people whose last name is
May
ex) delete from employee
where firstname='Mike' or firstname='Eric';
deletes all records for anyone whose first name is
Mike
or Eric
Deleting Tables
Use the drop command
drop table "tablename";

drop table employees;
SQL ALTER TABLE
COMMAND
ALTER TABLE COMMAND
• Used to add, delete or modify columns in
existing table.
• Alsouse to add and drop various constraints
in existing table.
Syntax: DROP COLUMN
• ALTER TABLE table_name
DROP column_name;
Syntax: CHANGE DATATYPE
MODIFY COLUMN column_name;
Syntax: add NOT NULL constraint
MODIFY column_name datatype
NOT NULL;
Syntax: add NOT NULL constraint
MODIFY column_name datatype
NOT NULL;
Syntax: DROP PRIMARY KEY
DROP primary key;
Syntax: ADD PRIMARY KEY
• ALTER TABLE `table_name`
ADD primary key(`column_name`);

BASIC SQL COMMANDS

Uploaded by

BASIC SQL COMMANDS

Uploaded by

BASIC SQL

create database “databasename”;

create table “tablename”

create table employee

insert into employees

**All strings should be enclosed by single

insert into "tablename"

Here is the syntax:

This changes everyone whose last name is

Here is the syntax:

delete from “tablename”

drop table "tablename";

You might also like