SQL

Structured Query Language

So what is the most sought after

skill in the IT industry today?
A - being able to sort out margins efficiently in
Microsoft WORD
B - an ability to throw your PC at your workmate?
C - the ability to send e-mails to the wrong people
D - SQL

What is SQL?

A database language
3 parts
DDL (Data Definition Language)

set up tables, create keys, change table design labs 1&2

DCL (Data Control Language)

control access permissions to the database etc. later

DML (Data Manipulation Language)

query, manipulate data in table(s)

non-procedural

now and next

i.e. specify what to do, not how to do it

Widespread use in development (embedded in multiple

platforms)

http://uadisq01.uad.ac.uk:5560/isqlplus

SELECT Query Structure

Basic Form
SELECT <attribute(s)>
FROM
<table(s)>
WHERE <condition>;

Semi-colon at end
* denotes all columns

SELECT *
FROM Transport
query 1 WHERE Make=' BMW' OR Make=' VOLVO' ;
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How many rows in the answer?

Column Alias (AS)

Renames

query 2

attributes for output result

SELECT salary AS Pay

FROM Personnel
WHERE Surname = 'FRENCH';
Youll see from your database
that Frenchs salary is 20184

RESULT
Pay
20184

In Oracle,
you can
omit AS

Using two or more tables

Can use many tables

E.g.

SELECT p.div, b.div, surname

FROM personnel p, branch b
WHERE p.div=b.div and
City='BRISTOL';

query 3

Table aliases

List all tables used in FROM clause

Specify matching columns in WHERE clause!!!!!!
Make it clear which table each column belongs to

Use table.column notation where ambiguous

Can use table aliases to shorten

WHERE Clause

Any Boolean expression involving attribute conditions

Use

query 4
7

column names, symbols =, <, etc., calculations, numbers, text

Combine conditions with AND, OR

Text strings must be enclosed in single quotes
case sensitive (in Oracle)!
E.g. this will return nothing from your database
SELECT * FROM PERSONNEL
WHERE Sex='f';

LIKE operator

Used for string comparisons and pattern matching in

WHERE clause
Uses wildcards:
_ (underscore): any single character (? in Access)
% (percent): string of any length (* in Access)

SELECT * FROM PERSONNEL

WHERE surname LIKE '_A%E'
query 5
8

picks 'BATE' and 'MACRAE' but not 'HAMILTON' or

'RAINES'

ORDER BY
ORDER

BY <column> [ASC|DESC]

Sorts the result according to the column

Can use several levels, e.g.
SELECT *
FROM PERSONNEL
query 6 ORDER BY JobTitle, Salary Desc;

Sorts results by jobtitle,

and where jobtitle is the same, sorts by salary, highest
first

What's the result?

query 7

SELECT Surname,City,Salary AS Income

FROM Personnel,Branch B
WHERE Personnel.Div = b.div
AND (City LIKE '%S%' OR Surname LIKE '_R%')
ORDER BY CITY, SALARY DESC;

ASURNAME

JAMES
RAINES
HAMILTON
TRINGHAM
KUMAR
FRENCH
BRAY
MACRAE
BROCK

SURNAME
TRINGHAM

CITY
BRISTOL
BRISTOL
BRISTOL
BRISTOL
LONDON
LONDON
LONDON
LONDON
LONDON

INCOME
42000
25872
18534
9384
30816
20184
18000
16200
12288

CITY
INCOME
BRISTOL 9384

SURNAME
JAMES
RAINES
HAMILTON
TRINGHAM
FRENCH
BRAY
BROCK

D SURNAME

TRINGHAM
FRENCH
BRAY
BROCK

CITY
BRISTOL
BRISTOL
BRISTOL
BRISTOL
LONDON
LONDON
LONDON
CITY
BRISTOL
LONDON
LONDON
LONDON

INCOME
42000
25872
18534
9384
20184
18000
12288
INCOME
9384
20184
18000
12288

Explicit Join
can

specify JOINS explicitly in the From clause

different types of JOIN operations:
INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL
SELECT <columns>
FROM <table1>
[INNER|LEFT|RIGHT|FULL] JOIN
<table2> ON <Join Condition>;
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query 8
SELECT city, jobtitle
Worked
FROM
branchExample
b LEFT JOIN personnel p ON b.div=p.div
WHERE city <>'BRISTOL';

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CITY

JOBTITLE

LONDON

SECRETARY

LONDON

CLERK

LONDON

CHAIRMAN

LONDON

DIRECTOR

LONDON

MANAGER

LONDON

SECRETARY

LONDON

ACCOUNTANT

LONDON

CONSULTANT

LONDON

CONSULTANT

LONDON

MANAGER

LONDON

CONSULTANT

MANCHESTER

These are included in the

LEFT JOIN even though
there is no match. They
would NOT be included if
it were an INNER JOIN

More SELECT features

What if we wanted to strip out
query 9
duplicates from the answer?
Select distinct city, jobTitle
Use DISTINCT word
From branch b left join
personnel p on b.div=p.div
Where city <>'BRISTOL';
Can we perform maths in the
SELECT? YES!!!
SELECT salary/12 AS monthPay
SELECT salary + bonus AS totalPay
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Aggregates
extends

SQL

COUNT
COUNT(*) how many tuples?
COUNT(DISTINCT <field>) how

unique values in field?

SUM, MAX, MIN, AVG
Examples

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many

SELECT COUNT(*)
SELECT SUM(Salary)
SELECT
MIN(Salary),MAX(Salary),AVG(Salary)

GROUP BY

Applies aggregate to subsets

of tuples (subtotals)

SELECT Div, SUM(Salary)

FROM Personnel
GROUP BY Div
SELECT SUM(Salary)
FROM Personnel
15

SELECT Div, SUM(Salary)

FROM Personnel

DIV SUM(SALARY)
30

98400

20

95790

10

179340
SUM(SALARY)
373530

Error!

Group conditions: HAVING

HAVING

For conditions at the group level

Can only be used with GROUP BY

WHERE

query10

16

is for conditions on individual rows

SELECT div, max(salary)- min(salary)

FROM PERSONNEL
GROUP by div
HAVING max(salary)min(salary)>30000;

For each division where total salary is more

than 25,000, show no. of employees and total
salary. Which SQL will achieve this?

SELECT Div, COUNT(Surname), SUM(SALARY)

FROM Personnel GROUP BY Div
HAVING SUM(Salary)>25000;

SELECT Div, COUNT(Surname), SUM(SALARY)

FROM Personnel
WHERE Salary > 25000
GROUP BY Div;

C
D

SELECT Div,COUNT(Surname),SUM(SALARY) Tota

FROM Personnel GROUP BY Div
HAVING Total>25000;
Both A and C are correct

Use of Aliases

Renaming

columns in the result output

table abbreviations for use within SQL

Joining a table with itself

Query11
18

Finds employees who

share the same
manager and the same
job title

to find multiples instances of an attribute, e.g.

SELECT p1.surname , p2.surname

FROM personnel p1, personnel p2
WHERE p1.manager = p2.manager
and p1.surname <> p2.surname
and p1.jobtitle = p2.jobtitle;

Syntax of SELECT
The full syntax of an SQL Select statement is
SELECT [DISTINCT] <attribute list>
FROM <table list>
[WHERE <condition>]
[GROUP BY <attribute list>]
[HAVING <group condition>]
[ORDER BY <attribute list>];

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[] denotes optional parts. Explicit JOIN not included

Keyword Definitions
WHERE

A condition on individual tuples determines whether it is included in the

result
implicit joins (e.g. table1.key = table2.key)

GROUP

BY

Collects together tuples which have the same value for the specified fields

HAVING

A condition on each group determines whether that group is included in

result

ORDER

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BY

The result table is sorted with this clause

SQL Tutor if you have bought the book!

Lots of SQL tutors online try Google!

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Interactive practice
environment for
SQL
Available in the
DatabasePlace
online
You should have
details and a
password in your
copy of
Connolly/Begg

Links for practice

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp
http://www.sqlcourse.com/
http://www.firstsql.com/tutor.htm

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