0287 - Introduction to SQL

Course Description

Course Details 
 
Learn the key concepts of Structured Query Language (SQL), and gain a solid working knowledge of this powerful and universal database programming language.  In this course, you'll learn about the basic structure of relational databases and how to read and write simple and complex SQL statements and advanced data manipulation techniques. First, you'll learn about the traditional database structure, the structure and history of the relational database, and what structured query language (SQL) is and how it relates to the relational-database structure. Next, you'll discover how to use SQL to filter retrieved data and how to use SQL to sort and retrieve data from tables. You'll learn how to reformat retrieved data with calculated fields and how to merge columns and create alternate names for columns. You'll also learn how to gather significant statistics from data using aggregate functions, and you'll see how to extract data from multiple tables simultaneously using joins and subqueries. In addition, you'll learn how to manipulate data using the INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. We'll also cover how to use SQL to create and maintain tables, and you'll learn how to create and use views to simplify complex queries, summarize data, and manipulate data stored in tables. You'll discover how transaction processing, constraints, and indexes are implemented in SQL. And finally, you'll discover how stored procedures, triggers, and cursors are implemented in SQL. By the end of this course, you'll have a solid working knowledge of structured query language. You'll feel confident in your ability to write SQL queries to create tables; retrieve data from single or multiple tables; delete, insert, and update data in a database; and gather significant statistics from data stored in a database. Course Revised February 2016   
 
How It Works 
 
This course is fully online, you require internet access and an email account. The course duration is 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week period to complete the final exam (online, open book). Lessons are released on Wednesdays and Fridays of each week, for a total of 12.   You are not required to be online at any specific time. In addition to the specific lesson content, there is a discussion board with each lesson and often there is an optional assignment to apply the learning. Following each lesson,   there is a short multiple choice quiz. Your score on these quizzes does not count towards the final mark but completing these helps solidify your learning as well as prepare you for the final exam. The final exam is an open-book, multiple choice exam   and you need to achieve a minimum of 65% on the final exam to pass the course. There is only one opportunity to pass the exam. A certificate of completion from WatSPEED is available within four weeks of successful completion of each course and can be accessed in your student portal. Many of the Ed2Go courses are eligible towards the various online certificates offered by WatSPEED. 
 
Requirements 
 
 Any type of computer with a Windows Operating System, and any desktop (standalone, not required to run over a server) or client/server (required to run over a server) Database Management System (DBMS) that you are familiar with that supports the execution of Structured Query Language (SQL). Examples include Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Sybase, PostgreSQL.   Downloads and instructions for Microsoft Access and SQL Server are available in the course.   

Syllabus

Lesson 1 - Database Basics and Structured Query Language. In our first lesson, we'll explore the basic structure and history of relational databases. You'll learn the history of SQL, then we'll review some key terms. Then, you'll discover what SQL is and how it's used with a relational database.

Lesson 2 - Filtering and Retrieving Data. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use SQL to filter and retrieve data from tables. We'll talk about important query terms that allow you to communicate with your database, as well as syntax rules that will help you to create clear and understandable queries while avoiding system generated errors.

Lesson 3 - Sorting and Filtering Data. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use SQL to filter retrieved data. You'll practice sorting retrieved data using the ORDER BY clause. You'll be able to sort single and multiple columns, and you'll know how to specify sort directions such as ascending and descending order. You'll also learn additional query terms that will help you customize your SQL queries.

Lesson 4 - Calculated Fields and Functions. Today, you'll learn how to reformat retrieved data with calculated fields and functions. You'll also learn how to create alternate names for columns, and you'll discover the secret behind merging columns with the concatenation symbol.

Lesson 5 - Summarizing and Grouping Data. In this lesson, we'll discuss gathering significant statistics from data using aggregate functions. You'll also learn how to use the GROUP BY clause in conjunction with an aggregate function to gather important statistics from a table. Then you'll find out how to use the HAVING clause in conjunction with an aggregate function to filter groups of data from a table.

Lesson 6 - Working with Subqueries. Today's lesson is all about subqueries. You'll learn how to extract data from multiple tables simultaneously, how to use calculated fields in subqueries, how to use the DATEPART () function in subqueries, and how to use aggregate functions in subqueries. Then we'll talk about qualification, a technique used to combine a table name with a column name so there's no question about which table the column name refers to.

Lesson 7 - Creating and Using Table Joins. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use joins to gather information from two or more tables simultaneously. You'll learn how to use the inner join, self-join, natural join, and the outer join. Then you'll become familiar with the term Cartesian product.

Lesson 8 - Inserting, Updating, and Deleting Data. In today's lesson, you'll discover how to manipulate data using the INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. You'll learn how to insert partial and complete rows into a table, and how to update information already stored in a table. You find out how to transfer data to a new table, how to transfer data to an existing table, and how to delete rows from a table.

Lesson 9 - Table Creation and Maintenance. Today you'll find out how you can use SQL to create and maintain tables. You'll learn how to use the CREATE TABLE keywords to create a table, then we'll discuss how to use the ALTER TABLE, DROP TABLE, ADD COLUMN, and DROP COLUMN keywords to manipulate the tables themselves. You'll also find out how to define a primary key, data type, and field size.

Lesson 10 - Creating and Understanding Views. In this lesson, you'll learn how and why views are used in SQL. You'll learn how to create and use views to simplify complex queries, summarize data, and manipulate data stored in tables. I'll also teach you how to update and delete a view.

Lesson 11 - Understanding Transaction Processing, Constraints, and Indexes. Today, you'll learn how transaction processing, constraints, and indexes are implemented in SQL. You'll work through an example that demonstrates how a transaction is created, how constraints are used in the creation of a table, and how indexes are used to improve the performance of a database by optimizing the speed at which queries are processed.

Lesson 12 - Understanding Stored Procedures, Triggers, and Cursors. In our final lesson, you'll find out how stored procedures, triggers, and cursors are implemented in SQL. You'll see how stored procedures are created and executed, as well as how triggers work. You'll also see how cursors are declared in SQL.

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Introduction to Databases : Mandatory