SQL Introduction

SQL Introduction - Type of SQL Statements, SQL Process Flow

What is SQL?

SQL stands for Structured Query Language use for storing, manipulating and retrieving relational database data.

SQL queries to retrieve data from database same as you can adding and manipulating database data.

• SQL is a very powerful and diverse database language use to storing data into databases. SQL is loosely typed language so you can learn easily.
• In this SQL tutorial, we use command line examples to know about executing speed of SQL. It's take very bit of time for executing and retrieving result.
• SQL is a greater tool with web languages such as PHP, Python, Java, ASP et cetera to build dynamic web applications.

Before starting SQL, relational databases have several point that are important to keep in mind.

1. RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System.
2. Data Integrity : Store data only once and avoiding data duplication.
3. SQL Constraints : Constraints are the rules which are apply to table columns to store valid data and prevents the user to storing/entering invalid data into table columns.
4. Better security : Assign grant or privilege to a individual User. Using this grant user can store confidential data into table by using username or password.
5. Database Normalization : Database normalization is the process to store database data very efficiently. No need to store same data more then one time and reduce the Data redundancy.
6. Different types of relationships : One to one, One to many, Many to many
   1. One to one relationship : merging for two tables.
   2. One to many relationship : create a foreign key from an parent table to the child table.
   3. Many to many relationship : create a new relation table.

Keep in your mind...

• SQL is not case sensitive.
• But SQL Data is a case sensitive.

SQL Process Flow

When you execute SQL query come to a SQL Server. SQL Server work is managing database, load balancing, transaction management etc. SQL server call to a actual physical database table and return the result. This process is take small bit of time and depend of query and SQL server load.

Rules of Semicolon(;) or Forward Slash(/) in SQL

There is a huge difference in SQL between the meaning of a / and a ; because they work differently.

• SQL database systems require semicolon(;) at the end of statement to know it's ending.
• Use forward slash(/) once at the end of each script, to tell SQL that there is not more lines of code. you can't use forward slash(/) at the middle of the script.

The ; means terminate the current statement execute it and store it to the "SQL buffer", whereas the / executes whatever statement script is in the current "SQL buffer".

Type of SQL Statement (DDL, DML, DCL, TCS, SCS Commands)

SQL statements are divided into five different categories: Data definition language (DDL), Data manipulation language (DML), Data Control Language (DCL), Transaction Control Statement (TCS), Session Control Statements (SCS).

Data Definition Language (DDL) Statements

Data definition statement are use to define the database structure or table.

Statement	Description
CREATE	Create new database/table.
ALTER	Modifies the structure of database/table.
DROP	Deletes a database/table.
TRUNCATE	Remove all table records including allocated table spaces.
RENAME	Rename the database/table.

Data Manipulation Language (DML) Statements

Data manipulation statement are use for managing data within table object.

Statement	Description
SELECT	Retrieve data from the table.
INSERT	Insert data into a table.
UPDATE	Updates existing data with new data within a table.
DELETE	Deletes the records rows from the table.
MERGE	MERGE (also called UPSERT) statements to INSERT new records or UPDATE existing records depending on condition matches or not.
LOCK TABLE	LOCK TABLE statement to lock one or more tables in a specified mode. Table access denied to a other users for the duration of your table operation.
CALL EXPLAIN PLAN	Statements are supported in PL/SQL only for executed dynamically. CALL a PL/SQL program or EXPLAIN PATH access the data path.

Data Control Language (DCL) Statements

Data control statement are use to give privileges to access limited data.

Statement	Description
GRANT	Gives privileges to user for accessing database data.
REVOKE	Take back for given privileges.
ANALYZE	ANALYZE statement to collect statistics information about index, cluster, table.
AUDIT	To track the occurrence of a specific SQL statement or all SQL statements during the user sessions.
COMMENT	Write comment to the data table.

Transaction Control Statement (TCS)

Transaction control statement are use to apply the changes permanently save into database.

Statement	Description
COMMIT	Permanent work save into database.
ROLLBACK	Restore database to original form since the last COMMIT.
SAVEPOINT	Create SAVEPOINT for later use ROLLBACK the new changes.
SET TRANSACTION	SET TRANSACTION command set the transaction properties such as read-write/read only access.

PL/SQL Transaction commit, rollback, savepoint, autocommit, Set Transaction read more.

Session Control Statements (SCS)

Session control statement are manage properties dynamically of a user session.

Statement	Description
ALTER SESSION	ALTER SESSION statement to modify conditions or parameters that are affect to your database connection.
SET ROLE	SET ROLE statement to enable or disable the roles that are currently enabled for the session.