Home > Articles

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

SQL in 10 Minutes a Day, Sams Teach Yourself, 5th EditionSQL in 10 Minutes a Day, Sams Teach Yourself, 5th Edition

Learn More Buy

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

SQL in 10 Minutes a Day, Sams Teach Yourself, 5th EditionSQL in 10 Minutes a Day, Sams Teach Yourself, 5th Edition

Learn More Buy

Retrieving Multiple Columns

To retrieve multiple columns from a table, the same SELECT statement is used. The only difference is that multiple column names must be specified after the SELECT keyword, and each column must be separated by a comma.

TIP: TAKE CARE WITH COMMAS

When selecting multiple columns, be sure to specify a comma between each column name, but not after the last column name. Doing so will generate an error.

The following SELECT statement retrieves three columns from the Products table:

Input ▾

SELECT prod_id, prod_name, prod_price
FROM Products;

Analysis ▾

Just as in the prior example, this statement uses the SELECT statement to retrieve data from the Products table. In this example, three column names are specified, each separated by a comma. The output from this statement is shown below:

Output ▾

prod_id      prod_name               prod_price
---------    --------------------    ----------
BNBG01       Fish bean bag toy             3.49
BNBG02       Bird bean bag toy             3.49
BNBG03       Rabbit bean bag toy           3.49
BR01         8 inch teddy bear             5.99
BR02         12 inch teddy bear            8.99
BR03         18 inch teddy bear           11.99
RGAN01       Raggedy Ann                   4.99
RYL01        King doll                     9.49
RYL02        Queen dool                    9.49

NOTE: PRESENTATION OF DATA

SQL statements typically return raw, unformatted data, and different DBMSs and clients may display the data differently (with different alignment or decimal places, for example). Data formatting is a presentation issue, not a retrieval issue. Therefore, presentation is typically specified in the application that displays the data. Actual retrieved data (without application-provided formatting) is rarely used.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.