Duration

3 day(s)

Audience

This course is intended for Database Administrators, Database Developers, and Business Intelligence professionals. The course will very likely be well attended by SQL power users who aren’t necessarily database-focused or plan on taking the exam; namely, report writers, business analysts and client application developers.

Prerequisites

Before attending this course, students must have a working knowledge of relational databases and a basic knowledge of the Microsoft Windows operating system and its core functionality.

Objectives

This course provides students with the technical skills required to write basic Transact-SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server. This course is the foundation for all SQL Server-related disciplines; namely, Database Administration, Database Development and Business Intelligence. This course helps people prepare for exam 70-461.

Methods

Instructor led training alternated with demos and exercises. Each student disposes of a workstation. All the labs for this course can be performed using the provided virtual machines.

Description

After completing this course, students will be able to: Write SELECT queries, Query multiple tables, Use built-in functions, Use subqueries, Use set operators, Implement transactions, Sort and filter data..

Contents

Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server

This module introduces SQL Server, the versions of SQL Server, including cloud versions, and how to connect to SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio.

Lessons

• The Basic Architecture of SQL Server
• SQL Server Editions and Versions
• Getting Started with SQL Server Management Studio

Lab : Working with SQL Server Tools

• Working with SQL Server Management Studio
• Creating and Organizing T-SQL Scripts
• Using Books Online

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Describe relational databases and Transact-SQL queries.
• Describe the on-premise and cloud-based editions and versions of SQL Server.
• Describe how to use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to connect to an instance of SQL Server, explore the databases contained in the instance, and work with script files that contain T-SQL queries.

Module 2: Introduction to T-SQL Querying

This module describes the elements of T-SQL and their role in writing queries. Describe the use of sets in SQL Server. Describe the use of predicate logic in SQL Server. Describe the logical order of operations in SELECT statements.

Lessons

• Introducing T-SQL
• Understanding Sets
• Understanding Predicate Logic
• Understanding the Logical Order of Operations in SELECT statements

Lab : Introduction to T-SQL Querying

• Executing Basic SELECT Statements
• Executing Queries that Filter Data using Predicates
• Executing Queries That Sort Data Using ORDER BY

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the role of T-SQL in writing SELECT statements.
• Describe the elements of the T-SQL language and which elements will be useful in writing queries.
• Describe the concepts of the set theory, one of the mathematical underpinnings of relational databases, and to help you apply it to how you think about querying SQL Server
• Describe predicate logic and examine its application to querying SQL Server.
• Explain the elements of a SELECT statement, delineate the order in which the elements are evaluated, and then apply this understanding to a practical approach to writing queries.

Module 3: Writing SELECT Queries

This module introduces the fundamentals of the SELECT statement, focusing on queries against a single table.

Lessons

• Writing Simple SELECT Statements
• Eliminating Duplicates with DISTINCT
• Using Column and Table Aliases
• Writing Simple CASE Expressions

Lab : Writing Basic SELECT Statements

• Writing Simple SELECT Statements
• Eliminating Duplicates Using DISTINCT
• Using Column and Table Aliases
• Using a Simple CASE Expression

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the structure and format of the SELECT statement, as well as enhancements that will add functionality and readability to your queries
• Describe how to eliminate duplicates using the DISTINCT clause
• Describe the use of column and table aliases
• Understand and use CASE expressions

Module 4: Querying Multiple Tables

This module describes how to write queries that combine data from multiple sources in Microsoft SQL Server.

Lessons

• Understanding Joins
• Querying with Inner Joins
• Querying with Outer Joins
• Querying with Cross Joins and Self Joins

Lab : Querying Multiple Tables

• Writing Queries that use Inner Joins
• Writing Queries that use Multiple-Table Inner Joins
• Writing Queries that use Self-Joins
• Writing Queries that use Outer Joins
• Writing Queries that use Cross Joins

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the fundamentals of joins in SQL Server
• Write inner join queries
• Write queries that use outer joins
• Use additional join types

Module 5: Sorting and Filtering Data

This module describes how to implement sorting and filtering.

Lessons

• Sorting Data
• Filtering Data with Predicates
• Filtering Data with TOP and OFFSET-FETCH
• Working with Unknown Values

Lab : Sorting and Filtering Data

• Writing Queries that Filter Data using a WHERE Clause
• Writing Queries that Sort Data Using an ORDER BY Clause
• Writing Queries that Filter Data Using the TOP Option
• Write Queries that filter data using the OFFSET-FETCH clause

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Explain how to add an ORDER BY clause to your queries to control the order of rows displayed in your query's output
• Explain how to construct WHERE clauses to filter out rows that do not match the predicate.
• Explain how to limit ranges of rows in the SELECT clause using a TOP option.
• Explain how to limit ranges of rows using the OFFSET-FETCH option of an ORDER BY clause.
• Explain how three-valued logic accounts for unknown and missing values, how SQL Server uses NULL to mark missing values, and how to test for NULL in your queries.

. Module 6: Using DML to Modify Data

This module describes how to create DML queries, and why you would want to.

Lessons

• Adding Data to Tables
• Modifying and Removing Data
• Generating automatic column values

Lab : Using DML to Modify Data

• Inserting Records with DML
• Updating and Deleting Records Using DML

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Use INSERT and SELECT INTO statements
• Use UPDATE, MERGE, DELETE, and TRUNCATE.

Module 7: Using Built-In Functions

This module introduces some of the many built in functions in SQL Server.

Lessons

• Writing Queries with Built-In Functions
• Using Conversion Functions
• Using Logical Functions
• Using Functions to Work with NULL

Lab : Using Built-In Functions

• Writing Queries That Use Conversion Functions
• Writing Queries that use Logical Functions
• Writing Queries that Test for Nullability

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the types of functions provided by SQL Server, and then focus on working with scalar functions
• Explain how to explicitly convert data between types using several SQL Server functions
• Describe how to use logical functions that evaluate an expression and return a scalar result.
• Describe additional functions for working with NULL

Module 8: Grouping and Aggregating Data

This module describes how to use aggregate functions.

Lessons

• Using Aggregate Functions
• Using the GROUP BY Clause
• Filtering Groups with HAVING

Lab : Grouping and Aggregating Data

• Writing Queries That Use the GROUP BY Clause
• Writing Queries that Use Aggregate Functions
• Writing Queries that Use Distinct Aggregate Functions
• Writing Queries that Filter Groups with the HAVING Clause

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the built-in aggregate function in SQL Server and write queries using it.
• Write queries that separate rows using the GROUP BY clause.
• Write queries that use the HAVING clause to filter groups.

Module 9: Using Set Operators

This module introduces how to use the set operators UNION, INTERSECT, and EXCEPT to compare rows between two input sets.

Lessons

• Writing Queries with the UNION operator
• Using EXCEPT and INTERSECT
• Using APPLY

Lab : Using Set Operators

• Writing Queries That Use UNION Set Operators and UNION ALL
• Writing Queries That Use CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY Operators
• Writing Queries That Use the EXCEPT and INTERSECT Operators

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Write queries that use UNION to combine input sets.
• Write queries that use UNION ALL to combine input sets
• Write queries that use the EXCEPT operator to return only rows in one set but not another.
• Write queries that use the INTERSECT operator to return only rows that are present in both sets
• Write queries using the CROSS APPLY operator.
• Write queries using the OUTER APPLY operator

Module 10: Implementing Transactions

This module describes how to implement transactions.

Lessons

• Transactions and the database engines
• Controlling transactions

Lab : Implementing Transactions

• Controlling transactions with BEGIN, COMMIT, and ROLLBACK
• Adding error handling to a CATCH block

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe transactions and the differences between batches and transactions.
• Describe batches and how they are handled by SQL Server.
• Create and manage transactions with transaction control language (TCL) statements.
• Use SET XACT_ABORT to define SQL Servers handling of transactions outside TRY/CATCH blocks.