In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, readers learn how to use SQL to build effective databases, efficiently retrieve data, and manage everything from performance to security! Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, readers learn hands-on through practical examples. Each lesson builds on what is already learned, giving a strong real-world foundation for success. The authors guide readers from the absolute basics to advanced techniques—including views, transactions, Web data publishing, and even powerful SQL extensions for Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server!

Table of Contents:
PART I: AN SQL CONCEPTS OVERVIEW
Hour 1: Welcome to the World of SQL     1
SQL Definition and History     1
SQL Sessions     8
Types of SQL Commands     8
Canary Airlines: The Database Used in This Book     11
Summary     15
Q&A     16
Workshop     16

PART II: BUILDING YOUR DATABASE
Hour 2: Defining Data Structures     19
What Is Data?     19
Basic Data Types     20
Summary     28
Q&A    29
Workshop     29
Hour 3: Managing Database Objects     33
Database Objects and Schema     33
Tables: The Primary Storage for Data    35
Integrity Constraints     44
Summary    49
Q&A     50
Workshop     50
Hour 4: The Normalization Process    55
Normalizing a Database     55
Denormalizing a Database    63
Summary     64
Q&A    64
Workshop     64
Hour 5: Manipulating Data     67
Overview of Data Manipulation     67
Populating Tables with New Data     68
Updating Existing Data    73
Deleting Data from Tables     75
Summary     76
Q&A     77
Workshop     77
Hour 6: Managing Database Transactions    81
What Is a Transaction?     81
Controlling Transactions     82
Poor Transactional Control     90
Summary     90
Q&A     90
Workshop     91

PART III: GETTING EFFECTIVE RESULTS FROM QUERIES
Hour 7: Introduction to Database Queries     93
The SELECT Statement     93
Case-Sensitivity     101
Fundamentals of Query Writing    102
Summary     106
Q&A     106
Workshop     107
Hour 8: Using Operators to Categorize Data     109
What Is an Operator in SQL?     109
Comparison Operators     110
Logical Operators    113
Conjunctive Operators     120
Negative Operators     123
Arithmetic Operators     128
Summary     130
Q&A    131
Workshop     131
Hour 9: Summarizing Data Results from a Query     133
Aggregate Functions     133
Summary    141
Q&A     142
Workshop    142
Hour 10: Sorting and Grouping Data    145
Why Group Data?     145
The GROUP BY Clause     146
GROUP BY Versus ORDER BY     150
CUBE and ROLLUP Expressions    153
The HAVING Clause     155
Summary     156
Q&A     157
Workshop     157
Hour 11: Restructuring the Appearance of Data     159
ANSI Character Functions     159
Common Character Functions     160
Miscellaneous Character Functions     169
Mathematical Functions    172
Conversion Functions     173
Combining Character Functions     176
Summary    177
Q&A     177
Workshop     178
Hour 12: Understanding Dates and Times     181
How Is a Date Stored?     181
Date Functions     183
Date Conversions     188
Summary     193
Q&A     194
Workshop     194

PART IV: BUILDING SOPHISTICATED DATABASE QUERIES
Hour 13: Joining Tables in Queries     197
Selecting Data from Multiple Tables     197
Understanding Joins     198
Join Considerations     207
Summary     210
Q&A     210
Workshop    211
Hour 14: Using Subqueries to Define Unknown Data     213
What Is a Subquery?     213
Embedded Subqueries    219
Correlated Subqueries     223
Subquery Performance     225
Summary     225
Q&A     226
Workshop     226
Hour 15: Combining Multiple Queries into One     229
Single Queries Versus Compound Queries     229
Compound Query Operators     230
Using ORDER BY with a Compound Query     235
Using GROUP BY with a Compound Query     237
Retrieving Accurate Data     238
Summary     239
Q&A     239
Workshop     240

PART V: SQL PERFORMANCE TUNING
Hour 16: Using Indexes to Improve Performance    243
What Is an Index?     243
How Do Indexes Work?     244
The CREATE INDEX Command     245
Types of Indexes     245
When Should Indexes Be Considered?     248
When Should Indexes Be Avoided?     248
Altering an Index     250
Dropping an Index     250
Summary     251
Q&A     251
Workshop    252
Hour 17: Improving Database Performance     253
What Is SQL Statement Tuning?     253
Database Tuning Versus SQL Statement Tuning     254
Formatting Your SQL Statement     254
Full Table Scans     260
Other Performance Considerations    261
Cost-Based Optimization     264
Summary     266
Q&A     266
Workshop    266

PART VI: USING SQL TO MANAGE USERS AND SECURITY
Hour 18: Managing Database Users     269
User Management in the Database     269
The Management Process     272
Tools Utilized by Database Users     279
Summary     279
Q&A    280
Workshop     280
Hour 19: Managing Database Security     283
What Is Database Security?     283
What Are Privileges?     284
Controlling User Access    287
Controlling Privileges Through Roles     291
Summary     293
Q&A     293
Workshop     294

PART VII: SUMMARIZED DATA STRUCTURES
Hour 20: Creating and Using Views and Synonyms     297
What Is a View?     297
Creating Views     300
Updating Data Through a View     307
Dropping a View     307
Performance Impact of Nested Views     308
What Is a Synonym?     308
Summary     310
Q&A     310
Workshop     311
Hour 21: Working with the System Catalog     313
What Is the System Catalog?     313
How Is the System Catalog Created?     314
What Is Contained in the System Catalog?     315
System Catalog Tables by Implementation     316
Querying the System Catalog     317
Updating System Catalog Objects     320
Summary    320
Q&A     321
Workshop     321

PART VIII: APPLYING SQL FUNDAMENTALS IN TODAY’S WORLD
Hour 22: Advanced SQL Topics     323
Cursors    323
Stored Procedures and Functions     326
Triggers     329
Dynamic SQL    331
Call-Level Interface    331
Using SQL to Generate SQL     332
Direct Versus Embedded SQL    333
Windowed Table Functions    333
Working with XML    334
Summary     335
Q&A    335
Workshop     336
Hour 23: Extending SQL to the Enterprise, the Internet, and the Intranet     337
SQL and the Enterprise    337
Accessing a Remote Database    339
SQL and the Internet     342
SQL and the Intranet     343
Summary     344
Q&A     344
Workshop    344
Hour 24: Extensions to Standard SQL     347
Various Implementations     347
Example Extensions     350
Interactive SQL Statements     353
Summary     354
Q&A     354
Workshop     355

PART IX: APPENDIXES
Appendix A: Common SQL Commands     357
SQL Statements     357
SQL Clauses     360
Appendix B: Installing Oracle and Microsoft SQL    363
Windows Installation Instructions for Oracle     363
Windows Installation Instructions for Microsoft SQL Server     365
Appendix C: Answers to Quizzes and Exercises     369
Hour 1, “Welcome to the World of SQL”     369
Hour 2, “Defining Data Structures”     371
Hour 3, “Managing Database Objects”     373
Hour 4, “The Normalization Process”     374
Hour 5, “Manipulating Data”     376
Hour 6, “Managing Database Transactions”     379
Hour 7, “Introduction to the Database Queries”     380
Hour 8, “Using Operators to Categorize Data”     383
Hour 9, “Summarizing Data Results from a Query”     386
Hour 10, “Sorting and Grouping Data”     388
Hour 11, “Restructuring the Appearance of Data”     390
Hour 12, “Understanding Dates and Times”     391
Hour 13, “Joining Tables in Queries”     392
Hour 14, “Using Subqueries to Define Unknown Data”     394
Hour 15, “Combining Multiple Queries into One”     396
Hour 16, “Using Indexes to Improve Performance”     397
Hour 17, “Improving Database Performance”     399
Hour 18, “Managing Database Users”     403
Hour 19, “Managing Database Security”     404
Hour 20, “Creating and Using Views and Synonyms”     404
Hour 21, “Working with the System Catalog”     406
Hour 22, “Advanced SQL Topics”     407
Hour 23, “Extending SQL to the Enterprise, the Internet, and the Intranet”     408
Hour 24, “Extensions to Standard SQL”     409
Appendix D: Bonus Exercises     411
Appendix E: Glossary    425
Index     429