Querying with Transact SQL (T-SQL) (2 days)
TSQ-63: Fixed price Transact SQL training delivered on your site at any UK location.
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This highly rated course is for those working with Microsoft SQL Server who need to extract data using Transact SQL (T-SQL). While attendees gain much experience designing complex T-SQL queries using standard functions, joins and subqueries, T-SQL action statements which facilitate data or database modification do not form part of this course. So as to master the syntax of the language, the course is highly practical in nature and the focus throughout is on coding T-SQL by hand. On completion, a comprehensive set of course notes, examples, tutor and attendee scripts are provided on a free USB pen drive to take away.
Suggested Prerequisites
No prior SQL training or relational database experience is assumed.
Relational Databases and SQL: An Overview
- Database Server, Databases, Tables and Schemas
- Primary Keys and Foreign Keys Explained
- Some Common Character, Numeric and Date Data Types
- Client/Server Interaction
- SQL: Its Role and Purpose
- SQL and Transact SQL (T-SQL) in Context
T-SQL Statements and Queries: Their Structure
- Keywords, Identifiers and Operators
- Whitespace and Case: The Rules
- Expressions and Conditions Explained
- Conventions and Good Practice
- Working with Clauses
- A Note on Semi-Colons and GO
Retrieving Data with T-SQL: First Steps
- How to Create, Edit and Execute T-SQL Scripts
- Ways of Specifying the Database, Schemas and Table
- Working with the Default Schema
- Outputting Text with PRINT
- Using SELECT to Extract Data
- Retrieving Entire Tables
- Retrieving Specific Columns
- Working with the Result Table
- Outputting Results to CSV
- Using TOP to Limiting the Number of Rows
- Using ORDER BY to Sort the Output
- Working with Calculations
- Using Column Aliases to Rename Columns
- Using Numeric and String Operators to Create Derived Output
- Ways of Working: Some Tips
Using WHERE to Filter Results
- Working with Comparison Operators (=, >= etc)
- Numeric and String Based Filtering
- Filtering Based on Calculations
- Eliminating Duplicate Results with DISTINCT
- Working with Execution Order
- Column Aliases: Where You Can and Cannot Use Them
- Extending Filters with AND and OR
- Solving AND/OR Difficulties with Brackets
- Excluding Results with NOT: Some Tips
- Range Filtering using BETWEEN and IN
- NULL and its Implications Explained
- Catering for NULL
- Matching Patterns with LIKE
Getting Results From Multiple Tables
- Qualifying Column Names
- Joins Explained
- The Different Types of Joins
- Creating an Inner Join: WHERE Syntax
- Creating an Inner Join: INNER JOIN Syntax
- Table Aliases: The Need
- Working with Self Joins
- Outer Joins: An Example
- How to Simplify Joins: An Approach
Using Standard T-SQL Functions
- How to Use Standard T-SQL Functions to Modify Results
- How to Find the Right Function
- Mathematical, String and Conversion Functions
- Functions for Modifying and Calculating Dates
- Formatting Numbers to Two Decimal Places
- Replacing NULL with a Specific Value
- Using Standard Functions in WHERE
- Using CASE to Specify Output Conditions
- Using Date functions
Grouping, Summarizing and Ranking Results
- The difference Between Tabular and Scalar Results
- Using Aggregate Functions (MAX(), SUM(), AVG(), COUNT() etc)
- The Way Aggregate Functions Work
- Where to Use and Where Not to Use Aggregate Functions
- Using GROUP BY to Group Results
- The Need for HAVING: Filtering the Result Table
- Using COMPUTE to Summarize Data
- Seeing both Detail and Summary Data with ROLLUP
- Ways of Ranking Results
Working with Subqueries
- Subqueries Explained
- Where you can Use Subqueries
- How to Successfully Construct Subqueries
- Subqueries for Filtering
- Subqueries to Create Derived Columns
Working with Views
- Views Explained
- Advantages of Views
- How to use Views to Simplify your Work
- Creating Views
- Dropping Views
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