SQL Queries for Mere Mortals A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL

Name: SQL Queries for Mere Mortals A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL
Price: 3.59 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780201433364

ISBN-10: 0201433362

ISBN-13: 9780201433364

Edition: 2000

Authors: Michael J. Hernandez, John L. Viescas, Joe Celko

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Now there's a practical, hands-on guide to SQL for millions of beginning-to-intermediate database users who desperately need to create fast, accurate, effective queries -- whether they have formal database training or not. The authors begin by introducing the fundamental concepts underlying relational databases and SQL. They then introduce the absolute basics of SQL, including the SELECT statement, creating expressions, and applying filters. Next, they introduce techniques for solving one of the most common problems database users encounter: drawing data from multiple tables at once. The book includes detailed coverage of grouping, totaling, and summarizing data; using SQL to update,…

Book details

List price: $59.99
Copyright year: 2000
Publisher: Addison Wesley Professional
Publication date: 8/21/2000
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 528
Size: 7.00" wide x 9.25" long x 1.25" tall
Weight: 1.694
Language: English

John L. Viescas is a database expert who provides consulting and training services to companies around the globe. He is a Microsoft MVP and the author of several popular books, including Microsoftï¿½ Office Accessï¿½ 2003 Inside Out and Building Microsoftï¿½ Accessï¿½ Applications.

Rob Shimonski (www.shimonski.com) is an experienced entrepreneur and an active participant in the business community. Rob is a best-selling author and editor with over 15 years experience developing, producing and distributing print media in the form of books, magazines and periodicals. To date, Rob has successfully created over 100 books that are currently in circulation. Rob has worked for countless companies to include CompTIA, Entrepreneur Magazine, Microsoft, McGraw Hill Education, Cisco, the National Security Agency and Digidesign. Rob has an extremely diverse background in the print media industry filling roles such as author, co-author, technical editor, copy editor and…



Foreword


Preface and Acknowledgments


About the Authors


Introduction


Are You a "Mere Mortal"?


About This Book


How to Use This Book


Reading the Diagrams Used in This Book


Sample Databases Used in This Book


"Follow the Yellow Brick Road"



Relational Databases and SQL



What Is Relational?


Topics Covered in This Chapter


Types of Databases


A Brief History of the Relational Model


In the Beginning...


Relational Database Software


Anatomy of a Relational Database


Tables


Fields


Records


Keys


Views


Relationships


What's in It for Me?


"Where Do I Go from Here?"


Summary



Ensuring Your Database Structure Is Sound


Topics Covered in This Chapter


Why Is This Chapter Here?


Why Worry about Sound Structures?


Fine-tuning Fields


What's in a Name? (Part One)


Smoothing Out the Rough Edges


Resolving Multipart Fields


Resolving Multivalued Fields


Fine-tuning Tables


What's in a Name? (Part Two)


Ensuring a Sound Structure


Resolving Unnecessary Duplicate Fields


Identification Is the Key


Establishing Solid Relationships


Establishing a Deletion Rule


Setting the Type of Participation


Setting the Degree of Participation


Is That All?


Summary



A Concise History of SQL


Topics Covered in This Chapter


The Origins of SQL


Early Vendor Implementations


"...And Then There Was a Standard"


Evolution of the ANSI/ISO Standard


Other SQL Standards


Commercial Implementations


What the Future Holds


Why Should You Learn SQL?


Summary



SQL Basics



Creating a Simple Query


Topics Covered in This Chapter


Introducing SELECT


The SELECT Statement


Major Clauses in a SELECT Statement


A Quick Aside: Data vs. Information


Translating Your Request into SQL


Expanding the Field of Vision


Eliminating Duplicate Rows


Sorting Information


First Things First: Collating Sequences


Let's Now Come to Order


Saving Your Work


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Getting More Than Simple Columns


Topics Covered in This Chapter


The SELECT Clause: Take Two


Specifying Explicit Values


Moving Beyond Basic Information


What Is an Expression?


What Are You Trying to Express?


Data Types in SQL


Types of Expressions


Concatenation


Mathematical


Date and Time Arithmetic


Using Expressions in a SELECT Clause


A Brief Digression: Value Expressions


That "Nothing" Value--NULL


Introducing Null


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Filtering Your Data


Topics Covered in This Chapter


Refining What You See Using WHERE


The WHERE Clause


Using a WHERE Clause


Defining Search Conditions


Comparison


Range


Set Membership


Pattern Match


Null


Excluding Rows with NOT


Using Multiple Conditions


Introducing AND and OR


Excluding Rows: Take Two


Order of Precedence


NULLS Revisited: A Cautionary Note


Expressing Conditions in Different Ways


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Working with Multiple Tables



Thinking in Sets


Topics Covered in This Chapter


What Is a Set, Anyway?


Operations on Sets


Intersection


Intersection in Set Theory


Intersection between Result Sets


Problems You Can Solve with INTERSECT


Difference


Difference in Set Theory


Difference between Result Sets


Problems You Can Solve with Difference


Union


Union in Set Theory


Combining Result Sets Using UNION


Problems You Can Solve with UNION


SQL Set Operations


"Classical" Set Operations vs. SQL


Finding Common Values--INTERSECT


Finding Missing Values--EXCEPT (DIFFERENCE)


Combining Sets--UNION


Summary



INNER JOINs


Topics Covered in This Chapter


What Is a JOIN?


The INNER JOIN


What's "Legal" to JOIN?


Syntax


Check Those Relationships!


Uses for INNER JOINs


Find Related Rows


Find Matching Values


Sample Statements


Two Tables


More Than Two Tables


Looking for Matching Values


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



OUTER JOINs


Topics Covered in This Chapter


What Is an OUTER JOIN?


The LEFT/RIGHT OUTER JOIN


Syntax


The FULL OUTER JOIN


Syntax


FULL OUTER JOIN on Non-Key Values


Union Join


Uses for OUTER JOINs


Find Missing Values


Find Partially Matched Information


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



UNIONs


Topics Covered in This Chapter


What Is a UNION?


Writing Requests with UNION


Using Simple SELECT Statements


Combining Complex SELECT Statements


Using UNION More Than Once


Sorting a UNION


Uses for UNION


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Subqueries


Topics Covered in This Chapter


What Is a Subquery?


Row Subqueries


Table Subqueries


Scalar Subqueries


Subqueries as Column Expressions


Syntax


An Introduction to Aggregate Functions--COUNT and MAX


Subqueries as Filters


Syntax


Special Predicate Keywords for Subqueries


Uses for Subqueries


Column Expressions


Filters


Sample Statements


Subqueries in Expressions


Subqueries in Filters


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Summarizing and Grouping Data



Simple Totals


Topics Covered in This Chapter


Aggregate Functions


Counting Rows and Values with COUNT


Computing a Total with SUM


Calculating a Mean Value with AVG


Finding the Largest Value with MAX


Finding the Smallest Value with MIN


Using More Than One Function


Using Aggregate Functions in Filters


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Grouping Data


Topics Covered in This Chapter


Why Group Data?


The GROUP BY Clause


Syntax


Mixing Columns and Expressions


Using GROUP BY in a Subquery in a WHERE Clause


Simulating a SELECT DISTINCT Statement


"Some Restrictions Apply"


Column Restrictions


Grouping on Expressions


Uses for GROUP BY


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve



Filtering Grouped Data


Topics Covered in This Chapter


A New Meaning of "Focus Groups"


When You Filter Makes a Difference


Should You Filter in WHERE or in HAVING?


Avoiding the HAVING COUNT Trap


Uses for HAVING


Sample Statements


Summary


Problems for You to Solve


In Closing


Appendices



SQL Standard Diagrams



Schema for the Sample Databases



Recommended Reading References


Index