This comprehensive one-day course is designed for individuals seeking to establish a solid foundation in SQL within the SQL Server environment. Participants will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of relational databases and SQL syntax, enabling them to perform essential data retrieval and manipulation tasks. The course emphasises practical application, ensuring that attendees can confidently interact with databases to extract and manage data effectively.
Prerequisite
This course assumes no prior knowledge of querying data using SQL in the SQL Server environment. It is ideal for beginners seeking to develop essential SQL skills for data analysis and management.
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8 lessons cover:
Introduction to SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
Participants will familiarise themselves with the SQL Server Management Studio interface, including navigating the Object Explorer and Query Editor, and managing database objects.
SQL Language Fundamentals
An overview of SQL, covering its components: Data Definition Language (DDL), Data Manipulation Language (DML), Data Query Language (DQL), Data Control Language (DCL), and Transaction Control Language (TCL).
Data Retrieval and Filtering
Training on using the SELECT statement, applying the FROM clause, aliasing column names, and utilising SELECT DISTINCT to eliminate duplicates. Participants will also learn to implement inline and block comments, sort data with ORDER BY, and filter data using the WHERE clause with operators such as AND, OR, BETWEEN, IN, and LIKE.
Data Manipulation
Instruction on inserting data into tables, updating existing records, and deleting records from tables.
Expressions and Calculations
Guidance on creating calculated fields, performing string concatenation, using mathematical operators, and implementing CASE expressions for conditional logic.
Aggregate and Scalar Functions
Exploration of aggregate functions like SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT, and mathematical functions such as PI, SQRT, ABS, ROUND, CEILING, and FLOOR. Participants will also learn to use string functions (LEN, LEFT, CHARINDEX, SUBSTRING) and date functions (GETDATE, YEAR, DATENAME, DATEADD), along with data type conversions using CONVERT and CAST.
Grouping and Filtering Aggregated Data
Training on using the GROUP BY clause to group data and the HAVING clause to filter groups.
Combining Data from Multiple Sources
Instruction on understanding and applying various types of joins (INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, FULL OUTER JOIN, SELF JOIN) and using UNION to combine result sets.
