If learning to code is new to you, SQL might be intimidating. However, with a little bit of practice, you can learn the basics in just a week. Even though it may seem like a lot, donât forget that coding is a skill that can be learned. Are you a fast learner? Are you good with numbers? If so, SQL can be a great skill to learn.
Learn to use SQL for a project.
It depends on your experience level. SQL is a skill that takes time to learn. Itâs not something you can learn overnight, or even in a few months. If you have no experience working with databases at all, youâll want to start by learning the basics. Some of the best ways to learn SQL are by first learning a similar language like Python or Java. If youâve never programmed before, or if youâve only dabbled a bit, consider starting with SQL by writing small programs in Excel.
Set up a local server.
If youâve never touched a database before, learning SQL can be tough. Fortunately, there are great places to learn, including free online courses or books. A good way to learn is to work through tutorials that guide you step-by-step through the creation of a database and then some. It might also be a good idea to practice on smaller databases before learning how to work with bigger ones.
Create a database.
Yes! Itâs a lot easier to learn a new skill when you have a structured and supportive learning environment. If youâve ever taken a class at school, you probably had a teacher who provided you with all kinds of helpful resources â a textbook, worksheets, and even supplemental videos if you needed a little extra help.
Create a table.
If youâre a complete beginner, itâs likely that you donât know how to write a single SQL query. And thatâs fine! A lot of people donât know SQL when they first start. Itâs much easier to use a tool like MySQL Workbench to create a database and a table. But itâs also perfectly fine to start learning SQL by writing SQL queries in a query editor.
Add data to the table.
If you already have experience with a scripting language, you can learn the basics of SQL in a week. You can quickly learn the basics, such as querying data, adding and removing records, and even adding and editing data within a single table. However, it's important to keep in mind that SQL is a complex language that takes time to learn.
Query the data.
If youâre new to SQL, I would definitely recommend learning it step by step. There are plenty of free courses out there to guide you along the way. Itâs definitely not a quick process, especially if youâre new to coding, but itâs definitely worth learning as you go.
Use aggregate functions.
Even though SQL does not use loops, it's still a good idea to learn the basics as they can help you learn other concepts. For example, you can use COUNT, which helps you find the number of records in a table. This is especially helpful when you want to find out how many users are in your database.
Conclusion
First, it is important to understand that SQL is not a coding language. Itâs not about writing lines of code that you can copy and paste into a program. Instead, itâs a structured query language designed to access and manipulate data in a database. If you want to learn SQL quickly, youâll need to break it down into the four main components: SELECT, FROM, WHERE, and GROUP BY. These are the four main clauses of any SQL query, and each one plays a distinct role. If you learn one of these at a time, you can get a better understanding of the basics.