Learning SQL

BD10NNF

BD10NNF

BD10NNF

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Hi guys and gals,

I'm wanting to learn SQL. I know a little bit already. I know how to install the software, how to add users, run a query, run a script and make the changes needed, how to edit tables and change security settings for each user on the database.

Is there anything else I need to know that is worth learning?
What reading material is there that would be beneficial (I'm guessing the For Dummies book might not cover what I need)?

Thanks for your help.
 
This depends what you're actually going to be doing, will you be performing DBA type things or just general querying of tables, creating views etc.

Also I take it you are referring to MS SQL Server?
 
It will be a bit of everything really. I want to try cover all bases even just learning the basics.
Then when I know that I can look to develop more towards either the database side or the quires and writing code. Depending on what my role in the future requires.

I'm mainly looking for reading material but not sure where to start. Like I said I don't fancy buying those For Dummies books if it's going to cover what I already know. I mainly know the basics of the database side. So Creating a database, running the script needed for that database, finding customer names within that database etc
 
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Burnsy2023 said:
I'll second this. DBA/DB Dev is much of my role at the moment and although I've done a lot of training, the basics are well covered by pluralsight videos.

What DB backends are most prevalent at your work?
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It's mainly just SQL 2008. Simple queries like where client_name blah blah blah is use a lot to find people.
 
Jopabo said:
Might be better off learning noSQL DBs such as MongoDB. SQL is old hat nowadays I believe.
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You couldn't be more wrong tbh, assuming when you say SQL you mean MSSQL, relational databases are good for certain things and bigdata / noSQL solutions are good for other things (namely large data sets).

I have no idea where this constant "relational databases are a thing of the past, and bigdata / noSQL are the future" attitude comes from but it's certainly not from a position of knowledge.
 
Jopabo said:
Might be better off learning noSQL DBs such as MongoDB. SQL is old hat nowadays I believe.
Click to expand...

Err no. I've had this discussion many times with developers. There are use cases where MongoDB excels such as storing of persistent objects for web applications or other binary objects, but it is not designed to deal with the still very applicable use cases for traditional RDBMSs.
 
Just so you know, postgres has been able to handle big data for a while now lol :)

mongoDB is nice, just mssql / postgres noted and added that ability to their list :) or added decent enough integration to make using mongoDB / big data not as critical.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Err no. I've had this discussion many times with developers. There are use cases where MongoDB excels such as storing of persistent objects for web applications or other binary objects, but it is not designed to deal with the still very applicable use cases for traditional RDBMSs.
Click to expand...

Hehe techno-hype :) Had this sort of discussion many times.

SQL, more accurately - set based processing, is split into two:
1) understanding set theory - being able to define what you're looking for
2) understanding how to translate the theory into the system, including how to best optimise and limitations for a particular piece of software (i.e. MySQL/Oracle etc)

I did both over 4 years for a BSc Software Engineering degree.. but for me is understanding how to break the problem into chunks then implement. So you need a course to teach you how todo things on a database but you will also need to keep learning on the theory to improve beyond noddy database structures.

I would say 80% of RDBMS use is nothing more than a dumping ground for data in a "useful store" with nothing more than simple inserts and queries pulling and pushing data to and from Java by serial programmers. The 20% is where you see it being used and that's where things such as processing optimisation is needed.
 
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