Learn SQL in a Month of Lunches

Use SQL to get the data you need in no time at all! Learn to read and write basic queries, troubleshoot common problems, and control your own business data in just 24 short lessons–no programming experience required!

SQL has been designed to be as close to English as possible—anyone can learn it! Learn SQL in a Month of Lunches helps you add this lucrative and highly sought-after skill to your resume in just 24 fun and friendly lessons. The book emphasizes practical uses for the language in the real-world, so you’ll just learn the most useful skills for business data analysis.

Inside Learn SQL in a Month of Lunches you’ll discover how to:

• Set up your first database with MySQL
• Write your own SQL queries
• See only the data you need from large datasets
• Connect different sets of data
• Analyze data with functions and aggregations
• Master basic data manipulation techniques
• Save queries in stored procedures and views
• Create tables to store data efficiently
• Read and improve SQL written by others

If you use Excel, Tableau, or PowerBI to crunch business data, you’ve probably seen a lot of SQL already. And guess what? It’s easy to master the most useful parts of SQL! In just a few quick lessons, Learn SQL in a Month of Lunches will get you writing your own queries, modifying existing SQL statements, and working with data like a pro. 25-year SQL veteran Jeff Iannucci makes SQL a snap through hands-on lab exercises, relevant code examples, and easy-to-understand language.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the technology

SQL, Structured Query Language, is the standard way to query, create, and manage relational databases like SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. It’s also a superpower for data analysts who need to go beyond spreadsheets and BI dashboarding tools. SQL is easy to read and understand, and with this book (and a little practice) you’ll be pulling data, tweaking tables, and cranking out amazing reports and presentations in no time at all!

About the book

Learn SQL in a Month of Lunches introduces SQL to data analysts and other aspiring data pros with no prior experience using relational databases. In it, you’ll complete 24 short lessons, each of which teaches an essential SQL skill for retrieving, filtering, and analyzing data. You’ll practice each new technique with a friendly hands-on lab designed to take about 15 minutes, as you learn to write queries that deliver the exact data you need. Along the way, you’ll build a valuable intuition for how databases operate in real business scenarios.

What's inside

• Get the data you need from any relational database
• Filter, sort, and group data
• Combine data from multiple tables
• Create, update, and delete data

About the reader

For students, aspiring data analysts, software developers, and anyone else who wants to work with relational databases.

About the author

Jeff Iannucci is a Senior Consultant with Straight Path Solutions. For over 20 years, he has worked extensively with SQL in sectors such as healthcare, finance, retail sales, and government.

Table of Contents

1 Before you begin
2 Your first SQL query
3 Querying data
4 Sorting, skipping, and commenting data
5 Filtering on specific values
6 Filtering with multiple values, ranges, and exclusions
7 Filtering with wildcards and null values
8 Querying multiple tables
9 Using different kinds of joins
10 Combining queries with set operators
11 Using subqueries and logical operators
12 Grouping data
13 Using variables
14 Querying with functions
15 Combining or calculating values with functions
16 Inserting data
17 Updating and deleting data
18 Storing data in tables
19 Creating constraints and indexes
20 Reusing queries with views and stored procedures
21 Making decisions in queries
22 Using cursors
23 Using someone else’s script
24 Never the end