SQL Queries for Mere Mortals 

Gain in-demand SQL skills and boost your earning potential with SQL Queries for Mere Mortals - the proven course for beginners.

(SQL-MM.AB1) / ISBN : 978-1-64459-369-1
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About This Course

Our best-selling SQL Queries for Mere Mortals solutions course offers a hands-on approach to transforming you into a confident user.  We'll break down relational database fundamentals and encourage you to write clear queries that retrieve the exact data you need, rendering it a perfect SQL course for beginners.  From filtering results and sorting information to manipulating data sets and working with complex scenarios, you'll gain the practical SQL skills employers value.  Learning how to join data from different tables and summarize it effectively will give you the edge in extracting insights and generating reports – putting you on the fast track to career advancement. 

Skills You’ll Get

  • Write clear and concise SQL queries using SELECT statements.
  • Filter results effectively with WHERE clauses.
  • Sort information for efficient analysis.
  • Modify data sets using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.
  • Apply complex conditions and perform logical evaluations in queries.
  • Work with unlinked tables for comprehensive data analysis.
  • Compile data from different tables and raw datasets using INNER JOIN, OUTER JOIN, and UNION operators.
  • Use GROUP BY and HAVING clauses to categorize and group data.

 

1

Introduction

  • Are You a Mere Mortal?
  • About This Course
  • What This Course Is Not
  • How to Use This Course
  • Reading the Diagrams Used in This Course
  • Sample Databases Used in This Course
2

What Is Relational?

  • Types of Databases
  • A Brief History of the Relational Model
  • Anatomy of a Relational Database
  • What’s in It for You?
  • Summary
3

Ensuring Your Database Structure Is Sound

  • Why Is this Lesson Here?
  • Why Worry about Sound Structures?
  • Fine-Tuning Columns
  • Fine-Tuning Tables
  • Establishing Solid Relationships
  • Is That All?
  • Summary
4

A Concise History of SQL

  • The Origins of SQL
  • Early Vendor Implementations
  • “… And Then There Was a Standard”
  • Evolution of the ANSI/ISO Standard
  • Commercial Implementations
  • What the Future Holds
  • Why Should You Learn SQL?
  • Which Version of SQL Does this Course Cover?
  • Summary
5

Creating a Simple Query

  • Introducing SELECT
  • The SELECT Statement
  • A Quick Aside: Data versus Information
  • Translating Your Request into SQL
  • Eliminating Duplicate Rows
  • Sorting Information
  • Saving Your Work
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
6

Getting More Than Simple Columns

  • What Is an Expression?
  • What Type of Data Are You Trying to Express?
  • Changing Data Types: The CAST Function
  • Specifying Explicit Values
  • Types of Expressions
  • Using Expressions in a SELECT Clause
  • That “Nothing” Value: Null
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
7

Filtering Your Data

  • Refining What You See Using WHERE
  • Defining Search Conditions
  • Using Multiple Conditions
  • Nulls Revisited: A Cautionary Note
  • Expressing Conditions in Different Ways
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
8

Thinking in Sets

  • What Is a Set, Anyway?
  • Operations on Sets
  • Intersection
  • Difference
  • Union
  • SQL Set Operations
  • Summary
9

INNER JOINs

  • What Is a JOIN?
  • The INNER JOIN
  • Uses for INNER JOINs
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
10

OUTER JOINs

  • What Is an OUTER JOIN?
  • The LEFT/RIGHT OUTER JOIN
  • The FULL OUTER JOIN
  • Uses for OUTER JOINs
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
11

UNIONs

  • What Is a UNION?
  • Writing Requests with UNION
  • Uses for UNION
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
12

Subqueries

  • What Is a Subquery?
  • Subqueries as Column Expressions
  • Subqueries as Filters
  • Uses for Subqueries
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
13

Simple Totals

  • Aggregate Functions
  • Using Aggregate Functions in Filters
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
14

Grouping Data

  • Why Group Data?
  • The GROUP BY Clause
  • “Some Restrictions Apply”
  • Uses for GROUP BY
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
15

Filtering Grouped Data

  • A New Meaning for “Focus Groups”
  • Where You Filter Makes a Difference
  • Uses for HAVING
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
16

Updating Sets of Data

  • What Is an UPDATE?
  • The UPDATE Statement
  • Some Database Systems Allow a JOIN in the UPDATE Clause
  • Uses for UPDATE
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
17

Inserting Sets of Data

  • What Is an INSERT?
  • The INSERT Statement
  • Uses for INSERT
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
18

Deleting Sets of Data

  • What Is a DELETE?
  • The DELETE Statement
  • Uses for DELETE
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
19

“NOT” and “AND” Problems

  • A Short Review of Sets
  • Finding Out the “Not” Case
  • Finding Multiple Matches in the Same Table
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
20

Condition Testing

  • Conditional Expressions (CASE)
  • Solving Problems with CASE
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
21

Using Unlinked Data and “Driver” Tables

  • What Is Unlinked Data?
  • Solving Problems with Unlinked Data
  • Solving Problems Using “Driver” Tables
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
22

Performing Complex Calculations on Groups

  • Grouping in Sub-Groups
  • Extending the GROUP BY Clause
  • Getting Totals in a Hierarchy Using Rollup
  • Calculating Totals on Combinations Using CUBE
  • Creating a Union of Totals with GROUPING SETS
  • Variations on Grouping Techniques
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
23

Partitioning Data into Windows

  • What You Can Do With a “Window” into Your Data
  • Calculating a Row Number
  • Ranking Data
  • Splitting Data into Quintiles
  • Using Windows with Aggregate Functions
  • Sample Statements
  • Summary
  • Problems for You to Solve
A

Appendix A: SQL Standard Diagrams

B

Appendix B: Schema for the Sample Databases

  • Sales Orders Example Database
  • Sales Orders Modify Database
  • Entertainment Agency Example Database
  • Entertainment Agency Modify Database
  • School Scheduling Example Database
  • School Scheduling Modify Database
  • Bowling League Example Database
  • Bowling League Modify Database
  • Recipes Database
  • “Driver” Tables
C

Appendix C: Date and Time Types, Operations, and Functions

  • IBM DB2
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • MySQL
  • Oracle
  • PostgreSQL

1

Creating a Simple Query

  • Using the SELECT Statement
  • Using the DISTINCT Keyword
  • Using the ORDER BY Clause
2

Getting More Than Simple Columns

  • Using the CAST Function
  • Using a Literal
  • Using the Concatenation Expression
  • Using the NULL Values
  • Naming an Expression
  • Finding Null Values in a Column
3

Filtering Your Data

  • Using the LIKE Predicate
  • Using the IN Predicate
  • Using the BETWEEN Predicate
  • Using Comparison Predicates
  • Using the WHERE Clause
  • Using the NOT Operator
  • Using the ESCAPE Option
  • Using the Order of Precedence
  • Using AND and OR Operators
  • Using the NOT IN Operator
4

Thinking in Sets

  • Using the UNION Operator
  • Using the EXCEPT Operator
  • Using the INTERSECT Operator
5

INNER JOINs

  • Using an INNER JOIN
  • Using a Subquery with the IN Predicate
6

OUTER JOINs

  • Using the FULL OUTER JOIN
  • Using the RIGHT OUTER JOIN
  • Using the LEFT OUTER JOIN
7

UNIONs

  • Sorting with UNION
8

Subqueries

  • Using Subqueries
  • Using the COUNT Function
  • Using the SOME Predicate
  • Using the ALL predicate
  • Using the ANY Predicate
9

Simple Totals

  • Using the MIN and MAX Functions
  • Using the SUM and AVG Functions
10

Grouping Data

  • Using the GROUP BY Clause
11

Filtering Grouped Data

  • Using the HAVING Clause
12

Updating Sets of Data

  • Using the UPDATE Statement
13

Inserting Sets of Data

  • Using the INSERT Statement
14

Deleting Sets of Data

  • Using the DELETE Statement
15

“NOT” and “AND” Problems

  • Using the NOT EXISTS Command
16

Condition Testing

  • Using the CASE Statement
17

Performing Complex Calculations on Groups

  • Using ROLLUP
  • Using the CUBE clause
18

Partitioning Data into Windows

  • Using the RANK Function

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Absolutely! This course is designed for beginners with no prior SQL knowledge. We'll build your skills step-by-step using the SQL training online course as a foundation.  

Employers across various industries are actively seeking advanced SQL skills in the candidates. By mastering SQL, you'll be able to efficiently extract and analyze data, generate reports, and answer critical business questions – all valuable skills that can lead to better career opportunities and potentially higher earning potential.

You'll be able to write clear and effective SQL queries to retrieve, filter, manipulate, and analyze data from relational databases. You'll also be comfortable working with complex queries involving multiple tables and data summarization.

Yes! The course is rich with hands-on exercises that will solidify your understanding of the concepts and develop your practical SQL skills for real-world scenarios.

You don’t need to install or buy a software program/ license to access its hands-on labs. Our platform is a completely web-hosted solution, which can be accessed from any device through browser.

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