Category Software Related Stories Handling Data with SQL -- 11/17/98 Next: What is SQL?

By Gabrielle Gagnon

SQL is often cited as being the lingua franca of relational database management systems. Certainly no other database language has found such wide acceptance among such a broad range of products. Since it was first standardized in 1986, SQL has become universally adopted. Even nonrelational database systems support a SQL interface. But unlike other computer languages such as C or COBOL, which are the exclusive domain of programmers, SQL is employed by a variety of professionals. Programmers, database administrators, and business analysts alike use SQL to access information. A working knowledge of the language is valuable to anyone who uses a database.

This two-part article will help you learn the SQL basics. We'll give you background on the language (dispelling some myths along the way), introduce you to relational theory, and teach you enough hands-on SQL to get you securely started.

How easy is it to learn SQL? That depends on how much you want to learn. There's a lot of material to master if you want to become an expert. SQL has come a long way from the original 23-page research paper that started it all back in 1974. The International Standard Database Language SQL (informally called SQL-92) document is over 600 pages long, and that doesn't cover the vendor-specific extensions from Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase, and other database vendors that have enhanced SQL for use with their products. A language as rich and varied as SQL can't be taught completely in one or even a few articles. Volumes have been written on the subject.

But you don't have to be a SQL expert to be productive. Just as a tourist in a foreign country can get by with some basic vocabulary and a few rules of grammar, a SQL novice can accomplish a lot by knowing just a little. In this article, we'll cover fundamental SQL statements, talk about selection criteria, and introduce you to reporting functions. By the time you've finished, you should be able to create and populate tables, construct queries, and run reports, and you'll know enough to go out confidently and explore the rest of SQL on your own.

Next: What is SQL?

Published as PC Tech Feature in the 11/3/98 issue of PC Magazine.

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