SQL For Dummies

Learn to: Build relational databases and pull useful information from them Create a database management system using SQL Secure your database and protect it from corruption Use all the latest SQL features Create more powerful databases and easily access information — the secret is SQL! Our world runs on data — more now than ever before. All that data must be stored in a logical way, secure and easily accessible. SQL is the language you use to create database management systems, implement database design, and manage data access. This guide takes you step by step through understanding and applying the latest version of SQL to help you take control of your data like a pro. The basic stuff — understand the fundamentals of SQL and relational databases Speaking the language — learn the language of data definition, data manipulation, and data control Begin building — use a RAD tool to build a simple database, then move into multitable relational databases Do things with data — discover how to add, update, and retrieve data, and delete what you no longer need Find what you want — examine techniques for querying your database to retrieve exactly the data you're looking for Keep it safe — manage user access, make your data less vulnerable to corruption, and understand threats Alphabet soup — master ODBC and JDBC access, and use SQL on XML data Advanced SQL — explore adding procedural capabilities with persistent stored modules and handling errors Open the book and find: The wide array of data types How to use SQL on the Internet Tips for designing tables Ways to maintain data integrity What you should know about values and value expressions How to use subqueries and recursive queries All about using triggers Ten common mistakes to avoid

Introduction 1 Part I: Getting Started with SQL 3 Chapter 1: Relational Database Fundamentals 5 Chapter 2: SQL Fundamentals 21 Chapter 3: The Components of SQL 51 Part II: Using SQL to Build Databases 79 Chapter 4: Building and Maintaining a Simple Database Structure 81 Chapter 5: Building a Multitable Relational Database 105 Part III: Storing and Retrieving Data 137 Chapter 6: Manipulating Database Data 139 Chapter 7: Handling Temporal Data 157 Chapter 8: Specifying Values 171 Chapter 9: Using Advanced SQL Value Expressions 197 Chapter 10: Zeroing In on the Data You Want 211 Chapter 11: Using Relational Operators 243 Chapter 12: Delving Deep with Nested Queries 267 Chapter 13: Recursive Queries 285 Part IV: Controlling Operations 295 Chapter 14: Providing Database Security 297 Chapter 15: Protecting Data 313 Chapter 16: Using SQL within Applications 333 Part V: Taking SQL to the Real World 347 Chapter 17: Accessing Data with ODBC and JDBC 349 Chapter 18: Operating on XML Data with SQL 359 Part VI: Advanced Topics 381 Chapter 19: Stepping through a Dataset with Cursors 383 Chapter 20: Adding Procedural Capabilities with Persistent Stored Modules 393 Chapter 21: Handling Errors 411 Chapter 22: Triggers 423 Part VII: The Part of Tens 429 Chapter 23: Ten Common Mistakes 431 Chapter 24: Ten Retrieval Tips 435 Appendix: SQL: 2011 Reserved Words 439 Index 443

Allen G. Taylor is a 30-year veteran of the computer industry. He lectures nationally on databases, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and teaches database development internationally through a leading online education provider. He has written more than 20 books, including all editions of SQL For Dummies .