Fundamentals of SQL Querying

Audience Profile

This course is designed for people who need output from a database. In some cases, database programs have limited reporting tools, or such tools may not be accessible. Previous experience with programming or SQL is helpful but not required.

At Course Completion

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• connect to the SQL Server database and execute a simple query.
• include a search condition in a simple query.
• use various functions to perform calculations on data.
• organize data obtained from a query before it is displayed on-screen.
• retrieve data from tables.
• format an output, save a result, and generate a report.

Prerequisites

To be successful in this course, students should have a solid understanding of the Windows operating system, including how to launch an application and create and save files.  In addition, students should have taken the Microsoft Access Level 1 course or have equivalent experience with basic database concepts.

Outline

Lesson 1: Executing a Simple Query

• Connect to the SQL Database
• Query a Database
• Save a Query
• Modify a Query
• Execute a Saved Query

Lesson 2: Performing a Conditional Search

• Search Using a Simple Condition
• Compare Column Values
• Search Using Multiple Conditions
• Search for a Range of Values and Null Values
• Retrieve Data Based on Patterns

Lesson 3: Working with Functions

• Perform Date Calculations
• Calculate Data Using Aggregate Functions
• Manipulate String Values

Lesson 4: Organizing Data

• Sort Data
• Rank Data
• Group Data
• Filter Grouped Data
• Summarize Grouped Data
• Use PIVOT and UNPIVOT Operators

Lesson 5: Retrieving Data from Tables

• Combine Results of Two Queries
• Compare the Results of Two Queries
• Retrieve Data by Joining Tables
• Check for Unmatched Records
• Retrieve Information from a Single Table Using Joins

Lesson 6: Presenting Query Results

• Save the Query Result
• Generate an XML Report