SQL:  Fundamentals Of Querying

We developed this course using the following:

The SQL Server 7 machine:

·         Windows NT Server operating system version 4.0 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Edition with Service Pack 4 (or higher)

·         Pentium 116MHz (or higher) or Alpha processor

·         32 MB of RAM

·         250 MB of hard-disk space

·         a CD-ROM drive

·         Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 (or later)

The client machines, running the SQL Server 7 client software:

·         Windows 95, 98, or NT operating system

·         32 MB of RAM

·         150 MB of hard-disk space

·         a CD-ROM drive

·         Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 (or later)

See your reference manuals for hardware considerations that apply to your specific hardware setup.

Course Description

Overview: Students will learn what SQL is and how it can help them query a database to answer business questions.

Prerequisites: Windows 95: Introduction, or Windows 98: Introduction or equivalent knowledge.

Performance-based objectives

Lesson objectives help students become comfortable with the course, and also provide a means to evaluate learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

*     Define what a relational database is and identify some uses for the SQL language.

*     Recognize proper syntax for an SQL statement.

*     Use aggregate functions, column aliases, and mathematical expressions in a query statement.

*     Use the WHERE clause to select specific rows of information from a database.

*     Search for specific character strings or numeric data in a database.

*     Write queries that return both aggregate and non-aggregate information simultaneously.

*     Write queries that select information from two tables simultaneously.

*     Generate a query and its report using Access 97.

Course content

Lesson 1: Introduction to databases and SQL

Database concepts

Understanding SQL concepts

Lesson 2: Introduction to the SELECT statement

An overview of the SELECT statement

Syntax rules you’ll want to know

Lesson 3: Calculating data

Aggregate functions

Column aliases

Performing calculations

Date functions

Lesson 4: Selecting specific rows

The WHERE clause

The ORDER BY clause

Lesson 5: Working with other operators

Searching for text

Logical operators

NULLs

Lesson 6: Grouping data

The GROUP BY clause

The HAVING clause

Comparing the WHERE and HAVING clauses

Lesson 7: Multi-table queries

Joins

Joining tables

Outer joins

Lesson 8: Querying a database using Access 97

Connecting to a database

Querying a database

Generating a report of the data