essential SQL

It is easy to get lost learning SQL, knowing where to start, wondering whether

what you’ll learn applies to your job. Use this handy chart to get a head start.

You can do this in three steps:

1. What’s your Role?

Which one of the following roles most closely matches your job?

 Data Analyst – Focus on retrieving data from a database to make

decisions. Use SQL to summarize and group data.

 BI (Business Intelligence) – Use SQL to retrieve and manipulate

relational database data for use in tools such as PowerPivot.

 Developer – Rely on SQL to retrieve and store data from within custom

built applications.

 DBA (Database Administrator) – concerned with the care and feeding

of the DBMS and databases contained within.

2. What Skill should you First Learn?

Now that you know your role, look the applicable skills in the chart below. The

skills are listed in the order you should learn them.

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What Skills Should You Learn?

SQL Skill Data BI Dev DBA

Analyst
Writing SELECT Queries
 • • •
Understanding Boolean Logic
• • • •
Sorting and Filtering Data
• • • •
Grouping and Aggregating Data
• • • •
Using Built-In Functions
• • • •
Using Set Operators
• • • •
Designing Databases and Knowing
Normalization
• • • •
Querying Multiple Tables with Joins
• • • •
Using Subqueries
• • • •
Using Table Expressions
• • • •
Aggregate Functions
• • • •
Using Window Ranking, Offset, and
Aggregate Functions
• • • •
Pivoting and Grouping Sets
• • • •
Understanding Query Optimization
• • •
Executing Stored Procedures
• • •
Writing Stored Procedures
• • •
Updating and Deleting Data
• •
Understanding Transactions
• •
Understanding Servers and
Operating Systems
•
Operating Database Backup and
Recovery Routines
•

3. Start Learning SQL?

Check out www.essentialsql.com to get a head start learning SQL. Be sure to visit the Start Here page.

essentialSQL www.essentialsql.com