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SQL Fundamentals

Name: SQL Fundamentals
Availability: InStock

A practical SQL course for anyone who needs to work with relational databases. Covers the language end to end: setting up SQL Server, creating tables and writing queries, joining and aggregating data, modifying data safely inside transactions and building reusable components with views, stored procedures, functions and triggers. The primary dialect is T-SQL (SQL Server) with PostgreSQL, MySQL and Oracle SQL/PL-SQL comparison sidebars throughout so the skills transfer. Ends with a capstone where you design and build a working database from scratch. This is Course 1 of the SQL and Database Engineering learning path. Course 2 (Database Engineering Fundamentals) goes deep on indexing, concurrency, performance and architecture.

35 hours

46 lessons

Certificate included

Instructor

JP Instructor

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This course includes:

35 hours of comprehensive lessons
Hands-on coding exercises and challenges
Code examples with syntax highlighting
Certificate of completion
Lifetime access to all content
Mobile-friendly, works offline

Course Curriculum

Module 1: SQL and Relational Foundations

What a relational database is and how it differs from NoSQL, document, graph, columnar and multi-value databases like UniVerse and the Pick family. Installing SQL Server Express, PostgreSQL, MySQL and Oracle XE. Connecting from clients, authentication modes, server-level and database-level configuration including tempdb, MAXDOP and recovery models. 5 lessons + quiz.

6 lessons

What Is a Relational Database?

Preview

12 minutes

Preview Lesson

Beyond Relational: The Database Landscape

15 minutes

Installing SQL Server and Alternatives

15 minutes

Connecting to a Database

12 minutes

Server-level vs Database-level Configuration

14 minutes

Module 1 Quiz: SQL and Relational Foundations

10 minutes

Module 2: Creating Tables and Data Types

CREATE TABLE, numeric and string and date/time types, VARCHAR vs VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR, BLOB and CLOB usage for binary and large character data, storing images in a database, primary and foreign keys and the basic constraint set. 5 lessons + quiz.

6 lessons

Creating Your First Table

12 minutes

Numeric and Date/Time Types

14 minutes

Strings: VARCHAR, NVARCHAR and the (MAX) Question

14 minutes

Large Objects: BLOB, CLOB and Storing Images

14 minutes

Keys and Constraints

14 minutes

Module 2 Quiz: Creating Tables and Data Types

10 minutes

Module 3: Querying Data with SELECT

SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, TOP and LIMIT. NULL semantics and three-valued logic, date arithmetic with DATEADD and DATEDIFF, time zones and DATETIMEOFFSET, string functions including LIKE, PATINDEX, STRING_SPLIT and STRING_AGG. 5 lessons + quiz + coding challenges.

6 lessons

SELECT, FROM, WHERE and ORDER BY

14 minutes

Limiting Rows, DISTINCT and Useful Tricks

12 minutes

NULL Semantics and Three-Valued Logic

14 minutes

Working with Dates and Times

14 minutes

String Functions

13 minutes

Module 3 Quiz: Querying Data with SELECT

10 minutes

Module 4: Combining Data: JOINs and Subqueries

INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL and CROSS joins. UNION, INTERSECT and EXCEPT set operations. Correlated subqueries and the EXISTS pattern, IN versus NOT IN with NULL pitfalls. 5 lessons + quiz + coding challenges.

6 lessons

INNER and OUTER JOINs

16 minutes

CROSS JOINs and Self-Joins

12 minutes

Set Operations: UNION, INTERSECT, EXCEPT

12 minutes

Subqueries

14 minutes

EXISTS, IN and the NULL Pitfall

12 minutes

Module 4 Quiz: JOINs and Subqueries

10 minutes

Module 5: Aggregations, Grouping and Window Functions

GROUP BY and HAVING, aggregate functions, window functions including ROW_NUMBER, RANK, LAG and LEAD with framing. Common Table Expressions including recursive CTEs for hierarchies. PIVOT and UNPIVOT, JSON output with FOR JSON and OPENJSON. 6 lessons + quiz + coding challenges.

7 lessons

GROUP BY and HAVING

14 minutes

Aggregate Function Nuances

12 minutes

Window Functions: Ranking

14 minutes

Window Functions: Analytic and Framing

14 minutes

CTEs and Recursive CTEs

13 minutes

PIVOT, UNPIVOT and JSON Output

13 minutes

Module 5 Quiz: Aggregations, Grouping and Window Functions

10 minutes

Module 6: Modifying Data and Transactions

INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, MERGE and the OUTPUT clause. ACID and how transactions work. When to use BEGIN TRAN and when single-statement atomicity is enough. Error handling with TRY/CATCH and XACT_ABORT, bulk operations with BULK INSERT and bcp, dynamic SQL with EXEC versus sp_executesql. 6 lessons + quiz.

7 lessons

INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and the OUTPUT Clause

14 minutes

The MERGE Statement

12 minutes

ACID and How Transactions Work

13 minutes

When to Use BEGIN TRAN

13 minutes

Error Handling with TRY/CATCH and XACT_ABORT

13 minutes

Bulk Operations and Dynamic SQL

13 minutes

Module 6 Quiz: Modifying Data and Transactions

10 minutes

Module 7: Programmable SQL Objects

Views and materialised views, stored procedures with parameters and return codes, user-defined functions covering scalar, inline TVF and multi-statement TVF, triggers including AFTER and INSTEAD OF, temp tables versus table variables, cursors and why set-based thinking usually wins. 6 lessons + quiz.

7 lessons

Views and Materialised Views

13 minutes

Stored Procedures

14 minutes

User-Defined Functions

14 minutes

Triggers: AFTER, INSTEAD OF and DDL

13 minutes

Temp Tables vs Table Variables

12 minutes

Cursors and the Set-Based Alternative

12 minutes

Module 7 Quiz: Programmable SQL Objects

10 minutes

Module 8: Capstone: Build a Working Database

End-to-end project. Pick a business scenario (library, e-commerce or gym), design and build a schema with constraints and seed data, write the queries to answer real business questions, build views and stored procedures for the application layer, add a trigger for audit logging, and write a one-page design decisions reflection. 6-step PROJECT capstone.

1 lessons

Capstone: Build a Working Database

300 minutes

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