SQL (Database Programming): A Self-Teaching Guide

2015 Edition. Perfect for end users, analysts, data scientists, and app developers, this best-selling guide will get you up and running with SQL, the language of databases. You'll find general concepts, practical answers, and clear explanations of what the various SQL statements can do. Hundreds of examples of varied difficulty encourage you to experiment and explore. SQL code listings help you see the elements and structure of the language. You can download the sample database to follow along with the author's examples. Covers Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft Access. Learn the core language for standard SQL, and variations for the most widely used database systems. Organize your database in terms of the relational model. Master tables, columns, rows, and keys. Retrieve, sort, and format data. Filter the data that you don't want to see. Convert and manipulate data with SQL's built-in functions and operators. Use aggregate functions to summarize data. Create complex SQL statements by using joins, subqueries, constraints, conditional logic, and metadata. Create, alter, and drop tables, indexes, and views. Insert, update, delete, and merge data. Execute transactions to maintain the integrity of your data. Avoid common pitfalls involving nulls. Troubleshoot and optimize queries. Plenty of tips, tricks, and timesavers. Fully indexed and cross-referenced.

Contents Introduction 1. Running SQL Programs 2. The Relational Model 3. SQL Basics 4. Retrieving Data from a Table 5. Operators and Functions 6. Summarizing and Grouping Data 7. Joins 8. Subqueries 9. Set Operations 10. Inserting, Updating, and Deleting Rows 11. Creating, Altering, and Dropping Tables 12. Indexes 13. Views 14. Transactions

About the Author Chris Fehily is a statistician and author based in San Francisco.