SA0951a: Introduction to SQL

Structured Query Language

Lots of SQL books in library and ebrary

e.g. Head First SQL, SQL for Mere Mortals (on SAFARI)
Connolly/Begg (4th ed.) 5.1, 5.2, 5.3.1 to 5.3.4, 5.3.7

Lots of SQL websites: e.g.

http://www.w3schools.com/SQl/default.asp# or
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/InfoTech/informit/ITLC15.asp: Parts 3 & 4
 So what is the most sought after
skill in 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

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 What is SQL?
 A database language
 3 parts
 DDL (Data Definition Language)
set up tables, create keys, change table design  lab 1
 DCL (Data Control Language)
control access permissions to the database etc.  later
 DML (Data Manipulation Language)
query, manipulate data in table(s)  now and next
 non-procedural
 i.e. specify what to do, not how to do it
 Widespread use in development (embedded in multiple
platforms)
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 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';

How many rows in the answer?

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 Column Alias (AS)

 Renames attributes for output result

SELECT salary AS Pay

query 2 FROM Personnel In Oracle,
WHERE Surname = 'FRENCH'; you can
omit AS

RESULT
You’ll see from your database
Pay
that French’s salary is 20184 20184

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 Using two or more tables
 Can use many tables
 E.g.
SELECT p.div, b.div, surname
FROM personnel p, branch b
query 3 WHERE p.div=b.div and City='BRISTOL';
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

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 WHERE Clause

 Any Boolean expression involving attribute conditions

 Use
 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

query 4 WHERE Sex='f';
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 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  picks 'BATE' and 'MACRAE' but not 'HAMILTON' or
'RAINES'
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 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
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 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 CITY INCOME

B SURNAME CITY INCOME
KHAN BRISTOL 42000 KHAN BRISTOL 42000
RAINES BRISTOL 25872 RAINES BRISTOL 25872
HAMILTON BRISTOL 18534 HAMILTON BRISTOL 18534
TRINGHAM BRISTOL 9384 TRINGHAM BRISTOL 9384
KUMAR LONDON 30816 FRENCH LONDON 20184
FRENCH LONDON 20184 BRAY LONDON 18000
BRAY LONDON 18000 BROCK LONDON 12288
MACRAE LONDON 16200
BROCK LONDON 12288
D SURNAME CITY INCOME
TRINGHAM BRISTOL 9384
C SURNAME CITY INCOME
FRENCH LONDON 20184
TRINGHAM BRISTOL 9384
BRAY LONDON 18000
BROCK LONDON 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';

CITY JOBTITLE
LONDON SECRETARY
LONDON CLERK
LONDON CHAIRMAN
LONDON DIRECTOR
LONDON MANAGER
LONDON SECRETARY
LONDON ACCOUNTANT
LONDON CONSULTANT These are included in the
LONDON CONSULTANT LEFT JOIN even though
LONDON MANAGER there is no match. They
LONDON CONSULTANT
MANCHESTER
would NOT be included if
BIRMINGHAM it were an INNER JOIN
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 More SELECT features

What if we wanted to strip out query 9

duplicates from the answer?
Use DISTINCT word Select distinct city, jobTitle
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 many
unique values in field?
 SUM, MAX, MIN, AVG
 Examples
 SELECT COUNT(*)
 SELECT SUM(Salary)
 SELECT
MIN(Salary),MAX(Salary),AVG(Salary)
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 GROUP BY

 Applies aggregate to subsets

of tuples (subtotals)
DIV SUM(SALARY)
SELECT Div, SUM(Salary) 30 98400
FROM Personnel
20 95790
GROUP BY Div
10 179340

SUM(SALARY)
SELECT SUM(Salary)
FROM Personnel 373530

SELECT Div, SUM(Salary)

Error!
FROM Personnel
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 Group conditions: HAVING

 HAVING
 For conditions at the group level
 Can only be used with GROUP BY
 WHERE is for conditions on individual rows

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

FROM PERSONNEL
query10 GROUP by div
HAVING max(salary)- min(salary)>30000;

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

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

B FROM Personnel
WHERE Salary > 25000
GROUP BY Div;

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

C FROM Personnel GROUP BY Div
HAVING Total>25000;

D Both A and C are correct

 Finds employees who
Use of Aliases share the same
manager and the same
job title
 Renaming
 columns in the result output
 table abbreviations for use within SQL
 Joining a table with itself
 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;
Query11
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 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>];

[…] denotes optional parts. Explicit JOIN not included

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 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 BY
20  The result table is sorted with this clause
SQL Tutor – if you have bought the book!

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

Lots of SQL tutors online – try Google!

TryIt in w3schools: http://www.w3schools.com/SQl/sql_tryit.asp

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