SQL Unleashed: The Ultimate Guide to Downloading and Learning SQL
Looking to learn SQL and wondering how to get started? In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the basics of SQL commands and their syntaxes. But before we dive into that, let’s first ensure you have the necessary tools to start working with SQL on your device.
To get started with SQL, you’ll need to download two things: the latest version of Microsoft SQL Server and SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio). Links for the Server and SSMS are:
1. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads
The first link will direct you to the download page of the SQL server. Click on the “ SQL Server on-Premises”. Once the installer is downloaded, select “ Custom” option and proceed.
Tip: Always install it in Drive C and Run it as administrator.
Download the SSMS in the meantime. Once both are installed, connect the SQL server with SSMS. That's it. You are done with the Software downloading. It’s that simple!
Now before we start writing SQL commands, it’s important to understand the basics of relational databases for which SQL exists. A relational database is essentially a collection of tables, each containing data about a specific entity, such as customers or products. These tables are related to each other based on common attributes or fields, forming a structure that allows for efficient data retrieval and manipulation.
Let's begin the real Game! SQL Syntaxes...
Starting with the building blocks, it is note that learning the syntaxes of SQL is essential to write effective SQL commands. SQL syntaxes consist of commands that are used to create, modify and retrieve data from the databases. Some basic commands include SELECT, FROM, WHERE, and ORDER BY.
It all begins with creating a table and inserting values into it. This is the foundation of SQL, and once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to unlock the full potential of your databases.
So, let’s break it down. The first and most crucial command you need to know is creating a table and inserting values into it. Don’t worry, it’s easy to understand. Check out the syntax below and get ready to start creating and manipulating your own tables like a seasoned SQL expert!
After creating a table in the database, updating and deleting the data of the table is used most often. Syntaxes of UPDATE & DELETE are:
Then comes the turn of retrieving data from the tables once you have created your own database or attached database from somewhere. WHERE clause is used to specify a condition for the data to be retrieved or modified. The syntax is as follows:
After retrieving the data, sorting is necessary to get an idea of the extremes present in the data. ORDER BY clause is used for it. It sorts the data in ascending or descending order. The syntax is as follows:
The last two important clauses in SQL learning of today are GROUB BY and JOIN. GROUP BY is used to group the data by one or more columns and JOIN helps in combining the data from two or more tables based on a common column.
Congratulations! You now have a solid foundation in SQL commands and syntax. Armed with this knowledge, you can begin creating and manipulating data in a relational database. But this is just the beginning. There’s so much more to learn, including how to alter databases and dive deeper into the detailed queries of INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.
We hope you found this blog informative and helpful in your SQL journey. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. And if you found this blog useful, please do like, share, and spread the word to help others on their path to SQL mastery. Thank you for reading!
