Learning SQL

by Bagui, Sikha; Earp, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780321119049
• ISBN10: 0321119045
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Addison Wesley

Summary

This book is a brief, hands-on tutorial covering the basics of using SQL, as well as using the Access database engine and SQL. An introduction to beginning SQL tasks is accomplished in this book. A series of exercises at the end of each chapter takes these newly leaned SQL skills and puts them to work. While learning about SQL, readers will also gain insight on how the basics are used by professional Access programmers.

Table of Contents

(Each chapter, except Chapter 0, concludes with Exercises.)
0. The Software Engineering Process and Relational Databases.

What is a Database?
Database Models.
A Brief Look at Normal Forms.
What is the Software Engineering Process?
References.

1. Getting into SQL in Access.

Opening up the Student.mdb Database.
Getting into SQL in Access.
Typing in an SQL Query.
Running an SQL Query.
Saving an SQL Query.
Editing a SQL Query in Access.
Viewing Table Designs.
Viewing Data in Tables.
Deleting tables or Queries.
Printing SQL Code and Output from Access.

2. Beginning SQL commands in Access.

The SELECT.
SELECTing Fields.
SELECTing Rows (tuples).
Using Aliases.
Table Qualifiers.
A Convention for Writing SQL Statements.
Few Syntactical Notes about SQL in Access.

3. Creating and Populating Tables.

Creating a Table.
Inserting Values into a Table.
The UPDATE Command.
The ALTER TABLE Command.
The DELETE Command.
Deleting a Table.
Data Types in Access.
The DATE type and DATE Formatting.

4. JOINs.

The JOIN.
The Cartesian Product.
Equi-Joins.
Theta Joins.
Natural Join.
Joining More Than Two Tables.
Outer Joins.

5. Functions.

Aggregate Functions.
Calculating with Fields as Row-level Functions.
Other Functions.
String Functions.
DATE Functions.

6. Query Development and Derived Structures.

Query Development.
Parentheses in SQL Expressions.
Derived Structures.
Query Development with Derived Structures.

7. Set Operations.

UNION and UNION ALL.
The IN and NOT..IN Predicates.
Using IN as a Subquery.
Using NOT..IN.
Approaching the Difference Operation.

8. Joins and Subqueries with Operators IN and NOT IN.

The IN Subquery.
The Subquery as a JOIN.
When the JOIN Cannot be Turned into a Subquery.
More Examples Involving JOINs and IN.
Subqueries with Operators.

9. Aggregates, GROUP BY, HAVING; NULLS in Grouped SELECTs.

Aggregates/Column Functions.
GROUP BY Clause.
GROUP BY and ORDER BY Clauses.
HAVING Clauses.
HAVING and WHERE.
Functions of Functions, GROUP BY and HAVING.
Auditing IN Subqueries.
Nulls Revisited.

10. Correlated Subqueries.

What are Non-correlated Subqueries?
Correlated Subqueries.
Existence Queries and Correlation.
NOT EXISTS.
The Universal and Existential Qualifiers.

11. Indexes and Constraints on Tables.

The “Simple” CREATE TABLE.
Indexes.
Constraints.

Appendix 1. The Student Course Database and Other Tables Used in This Book.
Glossary of Terms.
Glossary of Important Functions.
Index of Terms.
Index of Important Functions.