Where can I find a really good SQL tutorial?

Question

Where can I find a really good SQL tutorial and also, what are the main benefits and uses of SQL. Everyone's always banging on about it but what can I use it for on my website? cheers

Answer 1

You use a SQL query to a SQL Server backend (or MySQL, Access, Oracle) when using an ASP or PHP web page. This creates reports and inserts data from a web page dynamically.

Best place to go is Microsofts website, There is some good learning material.

And yes SQL is very good I use it (just about) every day.
Easy to store & easy to retrieve.

Answer 2

Hi,

To answer your question, I would look at it in reverse - Firstly I think the most useful websites (or desktop applications ) are 'data-driven'. This means the web site has a basic frame work of pages - generic in design - but these are populated by the users interaction.

For example, I could log into your web site and the database would hold information about who I am, and what I am entitled to see - my profile. It would then populate the generic pages accordingly; May be it would only show me the news on your site. When you log in using the same pages, the information in the database lets the web site know that you are an administrator. So instead of just seeing the news, you can edit it.

This is a very basic example, but I think demonstrates it quite well.

Regarding learning it, you must consider SQL is a language that does have a standard, but taking four of the most popular databases around - SQL Server, Oracle, Access and MySQL you will find syntactical differences between them. They also have their own strengths and weaknesses.

For a small website I would look at Access. It is quite straight forward, but on the downside you would need Access (the office program) or Visual Studio to use it. It also has a problem with concurrency - the number of simultaneous users. I have heard conflicting stories but I believe the truth lies somewhere between the 6 and 20 I have been told its capable of.

Both Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle have free express versions. These scale a little better than Access, but are a little more sophisticated in nature. That said, you can get Visual basic.NET express or Visual Web Developer Express as free downloads from Microsoft, and they can also be bought with some reasonable books to get you started (Wrox and Dummies) Both allow you to use the databases - Access and SQL Server - from within them.

I cannot comment on MySQL as it the only one I haven't tried. As a professional I would advise you looking at the Microsoft SQL Server option because its well supported, and has plenty of free stuff and good tutorials. Oracle is just as good, but has been aimed at the large scale databases.

Anyway - hope this all helps.

Answer 3

W3schools have lots of very useful tutorials for different computer languages. Here is the intro tutorial for SQL: http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp.

SQL or "Structured Query Language" lets you automate the task of giving instructions to insert, extract or manipulate data in your website's database.

So for example, if you have a database of customers with name, surname, email address and postal code say, which you use to send a monthly email newletter, you would be able to use SQL to "extract" all those customers in a certain postal code. Equally you would use SQL to add a new name to your mailing list.

Imagine, whatever you want to do to manipulate or merge or compare or display (the list goes on...) data in a big database, then SQL automates the process.

It is a hugely powerful language which should explain why textbooks for it are usually over 2 inches thick. The w3schools tutorial above is just your introduction.

Answer 4

i'm learning SQL through work - it's quite a simple language to pick up the basics. I'd check out the local bookshops. SQL is basically a way of pulling infi from database tables.

Answer 5

W3Schools have tutorials that'll get you started in a variety of languages including SQL. Good luck!

Answer 6

I would strongly recommend you try visiting www.devguru.com

Its invaluable to me and has superb references for all things "web" - inlcuding SQL, VBS, HTML and CSS which are going to be useful to you at some stage or other.

Answer 7

Go to www.mysql.com: you will find a whole manual, or email me at [e-mail]: I'll send you a zipped copy.
SQL is for the use of data bases on your website (go to www.skytargets.com to see examples [galleries are one of them], but most of them are written in PhP and may not be accessible).
You must also have mySQL enabled on your server (not always free!), and PhP.

Answer 8

is it true that the part of the brain as they say that thinks, is actually the spirit or soul, that the brain is just a store for every day activity and commands for the rest of the body

Answer 9

Try here for info

http://www.good-tutorials.com/
http://www.digitaljuice.com/
http://www.tutorialkit.com/
http://www.codestyles.com/
http://www.sitecube.com/website/promo_bw.asp?pid=sitetarget

Answer 10

http://www.sql-ex.ru/help/