Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours

By Ron Plew and Ryan Stephens

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Authors
  • Acknowledgments
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • Introduction
  • Part I: A SQL Concepts Overview
  • Hour 1. Welcome to the World of SQL
    • SQL Definition and History
    • SQL Sessions
    • Types of SQL Commands
    • An Introduction to the Database Used in This Book
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Workshop
  • Part II: Building Your Database
  • Hour 2. Defining Data Structures
  • Hour 3. Managing Database Objects
  • Hour 4. The Normalization Process
  • Hour 5. Manipulating Data
  • Hour 6. Managing Database Transactions
  • Part III: Getting Effective Results from Queries
  • Hour 7. Introduction to the Database Query
  • Hour 8. Using Operators to Categorize Data
  • Hour 9. Summarizing Data Results from a Query
  • Hour 10. Sorting and Grouping Data
  • Hour 11. Restructuring the Appearance of Data
  • Hour 12. Understanding Dates and Times
  • Part IV: Building Sophisticated Database Queries
  • Hour 13. Joining Tables in Queries
  • Hour 14. Using Subqueries to Define Unknown Data
  • Hour 15. Combining Multiple Queries into One
  • Part V: SQL Performance Tuning
  • Hour 16. Using Indexes to Improve Performance
  • Hour 17. Improving Database Performance
  • Part VI: Using SQL to Manage Users and Security
  • Hour 18. Managing Database Users
  • Hour 19. Managing Database Security
  • Part VII: Summarized Data Structures
  • Hour 20. Creating and Using Views and Synonyms
  • Hour 21. Working with the System Catalog
  • Part VIII: Applying SQL Fundamentals in Today's World
  • Hour 22. Advanced SQL Topics
  • Hour 23. Extending SQL to the Enterprise, the Internet, and the Intranet
  • Hour 24. Extensions to Standard SQL
  • Part IX: Appendixes
  • Appendix A. Common SQL Commands
  • Appendix B. Using MySQL for Exercises
  • Appendix C. Answers to Quizzes and Exercises
  • Appendix D. CREATE TABLE Statements for Book Examples
  • Appendix E. INSERT Statements for Data in Book Examples
  • Appendix F. Glossary
  • Appendix G. Bonus Exercises

Q&A

1. If I learn SQL, will I be able to use any of the implementations that use SQL?

   Yes, you will be able to communicate with a database whose implementation is ANSI SQL-compliant. If an implementation is not completely compliant, you should be able to pick it up quickly with some adjustments.

2. In a client/server environment, is the personal computer the client or the server?

   The personal computer is known as the client, although a server can also serve as a client.

3. Do I have to use _TBL for each table I create?

   Certainly not. The use of _TBL is a standard chosen for use to name and easily identify the tables in your database. You could spell out TBL as TABLE, or may want to avoid using a suffix. For example, EMPLOYEE TBL could simply be EMPLOYEE.

4. What happens when I am inserting a new record into a table and am missing, for example, a new employee's phone number, and the column for the phone number entry is NOT NULL?

   One of two things will happen. Because the column was specified as NOT NULL (something must be entered), and because you do not have the necessary information, you could delay inserting the record until you have the phone number. Another option is to change the column from NOT NULL to NULL, thereby allowing you to update the phone number later when the information is received. One other option would be to insert a default fake value, such as 1111111111, and then change it later after receiving the correct information. Changing the column definitions is discussed in Hour 3.

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