In this self-paced introductory SQL course, you’ll explore the fundamentals of database architecture and learn how to write SQL queries to extract and analyze data. You’ll gain hands-on experience writing SELECT statements, filtering results with WHERE, AND/OR, IN, and NOT clauses, and combining data from multiple tables using INNER JOINs.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to write and run basic SQL queries confidently in Microsoft SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio. The skills you develop will also transfer seamlessly to other SQL platforms with only minor syntax variations.
What You Will Learn
- Understand core database concepts, including tables, rows, columns, and different types of SQL
- Connect to databases and navigate SQL Server Management Studio using tools like Object Explorer and Query Editor
- Write SELECT statements to retrieve data, specify columns, sort results, and remove duplicates
- Use WHERE, AND, OR, IN, and NOT clauses to filter data and apply pattern matching with wildcard characters
- Explore data types, comparison operators, and case sensitivity to refine queries with greater control
- Learn to join tables using INNER JOIN and understand relational database concepts through ER diagrams and table aliases
Course Outline
Foundations of SQL & Databases
SQL Fundamental Concepts
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What is SQL & why is it used?
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Flavors of SQL: SQL Server vs Postgres, etc.
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Database Tables, Rows, & Columns
Exploring Databases & Writing SQL Statements (with the free SQL Server Management Studio app)
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Connecting to a Database
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Object Explorer
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SQL Query Editor
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Using Code Hints
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Viewing the Results of your SQL query
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Setting Preferences (Options)
Writing SQL Queries
Writing SELECT Statements
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Syntax of a SELECT statement
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Selecting all columns or specific columns from a table
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Limiting the number of results using TOP
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Ordering the results using ORDER BY
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Returning only DISTINCT records (eliminating duplicates)
Filtering Results
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Data Types (Strings vs Numbers)
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Comparison Operators: equal to, greater or less than, not equal to, etc.
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Filtering results using WHERE, AND, OR, IN, and NOT
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Pattern Matching: Wildcard Filters
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Case Sensitivity
Using Joins to Combine Data from Multiple Tables
Understanding Table Relationships
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What are Primary vs Primary Keys
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Creating ER (Entity Relationship) Diagrams to visualize what’s in a database
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Database Relations: One-to-One, One-to-Many, & Many-to-Many
Combining Tables with JOIN
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Inner Joins
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Column & Table Aliases
This course is available for 30 days. You can choose when to start your access period. Once you activate, you will have 30 days to complete it (access the course materials, quizzes, projects and videos). You may request one extension of seven (7) days. Other extension requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Videos are not downloadable.
