Course Description

Learn SQL language from scratch, the easy way, is designed to give a detailed introduction to using and understanding structured query language (SQL) for manipulating business data. This is a full course which covers the following topics:

  • Database Basics
  • Retrieving Data
  • Filtering Data
  • Scalar Functions
  • Aggregate Functions
  • Joining Tables
  • Grouping Data
  • More ways of getting data from multiple tables
  • Common SQL Functions
  • Transactions
  • Data Definitions
  • Relational Data
  • Indexes
  • Tools for working with SQL
  • Pointers
  • Data Normalization

For the most part, the SQL learned in the course is applicable to all major databases. In the few cases in which there are differences between the databases, these differences will be pointed out.

There are 2 sample databases provided with this course. SQLMain is used throughout the demonstrations. The second one is a Microsoft developed sample database that you can have fun with after you finish the course.

Besides the video tutorials and sample databases, this course includes a 186 pages pdf book about SQL that I have written. Some of the concepts covered in the book will be demonstrated in this course, leaving the remaining ones to be presented in part 2 of the course which is still under development.

I myself started learning on my own with no mentor and no place where to get the exact information that I needed. This is one of the reasons this course is structured in such a way that you can start writing SQL code in hours with ease.

I recommend taking one lecture once every 2 or 3 days. This way you will have time to get used with the terminology and also have time to practice what you learned on your own.

This course is not going to make you a SQL guru overnight. It takes practice and patience to get there.

Let's get started and learn SQL language together. The easy way.

Cristian Astalos

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to SQL

    • Introduction

    • Concepts and Overview
  • 2

    Selecting Data - The Basics

    • Select Basics
  • 3

    Filtering Data - Using the WHERE Clause

    • Filtering data using WHERE
  • 4

    Scalar Functions - The Basics

    • Basic Scalar Functions
  • 5

    Aggregates - Group By and Having

    • Aggregates Group By and Having
  • 6

    Advanced Tricks

    • Some more advanced Tricks
  • 7

    INSERT - UPDATE and DELETE Data

    • INSERT - UPDATE and DELETE
  • 8

    Joining Tables

    • Joins
  • 9

    Getting data from multiple result sets

    • INTRODUCTION

    • UNIONS

    • UNION-UNION ALL

    • EXCEPT-INTERSECT

    • MySQL Syntax

    • Advanced Stuff

    • CONCLUSIONS
  • 10

    Functions

    • INTRODUCTION

    • GETDATE

    • GETUTCDATE

    • DATEPARTS

    • DATE OPERATIONS

    • STRING FUNCTIONS

    • MATH FUNCTIONS

    • CONCLUSIONS
  • 11

    SQL Transactions

    • INTRODUCTION

    • TRANSACTIONS OVERVIEW

    • TRANSACTION EXAMPLE

    • MySQL SYNTAX

    • NESTED TRANSACTIONS

    • CAVEATS

    • CONCLUSIONS
  • 12

    DDL - Data Definition Language

    • INTRODUCTION

    • CREATE TABLE

    • PhPMyAdmin

    • DATA TYPES

    • ALTER DROP

    • CONCLUSIONS
  • 13

    SQL Design Principles

    • INTRODUCTION

    • RELATIONL DATA OVERVIEW

    • PRIMARY KEY

    • FOREIGN KEYS

    • INDEX CONSTRAINTS

    • CHECK CONSTRAINTS

    • CONCLUSIONS
  • 14

    SQL Indexes

    • INTRODUCTION

    • BENEFITS AND CAVEATS

    • MANAGING INDEXES

    • CONCLUSIONS
  • 15

    SQL Tools

    • INTRODUCTION

    • MS SQL MANAGEMENT STUDIO

    • CROSSPLATFORM

    • MySQL TOOLS

    • COMMAND LINE

    • CONCLUSIONS