Learn SQL databases in a weekend

Name: Learn SQL databases in a weekend
Rating: 4.6 (81 reviews)

SQL crash-course with everything you need to jump into database programming projects. Learn it all in a single weekend!

Created byGirts Strazdins

Last updated 3/2024

English

What you'll learn

Understand what SQL databases are and how to work with them
Be able to jump in a project requiring SQL knowledge
Create your own SQL database with multiple tables
Write simple SQL queries to fetch the data you need
Have a stable basis for further exploration of more advanced SQL topics
Find community help and documentation for SQL
Use SQL databases in Python, Java and other programming languages

Course content

14 sections • 154 lectures • 8h 21m total length

Why learn SQL?2:31
In this video we explore why it is worth learning SQL and why it is a long-term skill which will be valuable for many years to come.
What jobs can I get?3:35
Here we shortly look at a couple of ways how this course can help advance your career.
How can I advance my career?
What is SQL?6:27
Quiz about the basics
Why learn SQL when we have ORM (Object-relational-mapping)?2:45
Here we answer the question "Should I learn SQL, when I can use Object-Relational-Mapping (ORM) to access data storage?"
Conclusion - SQL is a long-term skill0:39

Content overview0:45
Architecture5:37
Here we look at the overall architecture of solutions involving SQL: you application (client) which connects to a database engine (server), using a library (driver).
Architecture
Steps to access an SQL database2:12
Here we identify step-by-step instructions - all you have to do to set up an SQL database and access it from a programming language.
Data, facts and information2:52
Before jumping in to database component overview, we take a step back and look at the general concept of "data" and "information".
Data in databases5:16
We talk about the main components stored in SQL: the databases and their tables, as well as database users.
Data in databases
Tables4:02
A closer looks at SQL tables, rows and columns.
Tables
Relations between tables1:59
A quick mention of possible relationships between the tables.
Database access - establishing a connection4:21
DB access steps
Connection examples in Java, Python, PHP2:14
Here we look at some examples of connecting to an SQL database from popular programming languages: Java, Python, PHP.
Can I access SQL in websites (Javascript)?2:18
Have you been wondering whether SQL is accessible from Javascript in websites?
Sending queries and statements4:42
SQL statements and queries, and the general pattern of sending them from a programming language.
Statement and query examples3:32
Statement and query examples in Python and Java
Identify a bug
Summary0:22
Section summary, quick hint of the content in the next section.
Note on plural and singular table names0:16

Selecting data, SELECT statement1:40
Selecting all data with *1:24
SELECT syntax
Selecting specific fields0:55
Select specific fields
Using expressions in SELECT1:22
Renaming result columns with aliases1:16
Using functions5:45
Let's insert more data!1:40
Use the attached .sql file to add two extra columns to the product table and insert some more products and employees. This will be necessary to follow along the examples shown in the rest of the course.
You can either copy the SQL statements from the attached file and run them in the DBeaver tool's query editor, or you can import it as a "database backup" (also called "database dump"). In DBeaver that is done by right-clicking on the database > Tools > Restore database, then choose the attached .SQL as the input file. In other tools - look for an option to restore database from an SQL file.
Note: the attached SQL file contains only the new two columns and the new data inserts! It assumes that you have the structure of the database as it was at the end of the previous section of the course!
Conditions with WHERE clause2:02
SELECT with condition
Combining conditions with logical operators2:12
SELECT analysis
Operator precedence5:31
Substring search2:35
Substring search
Ordering with ORDER BY2:10
ORDER BY
LIMIT the number of returned rows2:01
Skip rows by providing offset2:16
Aggregation2:29
Aggregation: COUNT, MIN, MAX, AVG, SUM4:55
GROUP BY5:32
GROUP BY
Exercise - product statistics0:44
Exercise solution5:12
Condition for groups - the HAVING clause4:26
When to use WHERE and HAVING?2:20
Summary of SELECT1:08

Requirements

Basic programming skills are advised (not strictly necessary)

Description

This is an intensive crash-course of SQL databases, the absolute essence. It contains everything you need to know to jump into real SQL database projects. And you can do it in a single weekend!

You will learn:

What SQL databases are and how they are structured
How to set up the necessary tools to get started
How to CREATE TABLEs and modify their structure later
How to export the data and table structure to a backup-file, and restore a database from a backup
How to INSERT data
How to write queries to SELECT the necessary data, including WHERE conditions, ORDERing, aggregation and GROUP BY, conditions * and functions.
What the mysterious NULL values are and why they behave so weirdly
How to DELETE data
How to UPDATE data
How to link together tables and select data from multiple tables using JOINs

The course contains a great deal of practical exercises:

Short quizzes to test your understanding along the way
Exercises in every section, including an extensive set of exercises using multi-table SELECTs with JOIN
A course project in Python and Java where you will read data from an SQL databases in your program

We will use the MySQL database engine - one of the most popular choices of SQL, a free and open-source solution.

Check out the free videos and see you in the course!

Who this course is for:

Programmers and enthusiasts eager to learn SQL databases
University students who have hard time understanding "that database course"
Data analysts who need basic understanding of data in SQL format

Learn SQL databases in a weekend

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

The WHY: Introduction and motivation5 lectures • 16min

Fundamentals14 lectures • 40min

Getting started12 lectures • 29min

Creating tables10 lectures • 35min

Altering and dropping tables4 lectures • 9min

Database export and import4 lectures • 16min

Inserting data11 lectures • 25min

SELECT queries22 lectures • 1hr

NULL Values7 lectures • 21min

DELETE and UPDATE data9 lectures • 15min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: