What is SQL (Structure Query Language) and essential basic syntax learning for a beginner

Scorefield Bello
3 min readMay 4, 2023

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SQL is one of the tools Data analysts use to interact with databases to do the work of processing, analytics, and science of DATA. I am writing this article to walk you through the basic learning of SQL, it’s very easy to interact with databases with a basic understanding of the SQL “syntax”.

What is SQL

Structured Query Language (SQL) is a programming language used to manage and manipulate relational databases. SQL is used in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and technology. This article will provide an overview of SQL and its basic concepts for beginners.

Database Basics:

A database is a collection of organized data that can be accessed and managed by a computer. A database management system (DBMS) is a software system that manages databases. The most common type of DBMS is a relational database management system (RDBMS). An RDBMS organizes data into tables, where each table represents a specific type of data. Each table contains rows and columns, where rows represent individual records and columns represent specific attributes of those records. Got that right? now what are SQL basics….

SQL Basics:
SQL is used to retrieve data from and manipulate data within a database. The basic SQL commands are SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. The SELECT command is used to retrieve data from a table, while the INSERT command is used to add new data to a table. The UPDATE command is used to modify existing data in a table, and the DELETE command is used to remove data from a table.

SELECT Statement:
The SELECT statement is used to retrieve data from a table. The basic syntax for a SELECT statement is as follows:

SELECT column1, column2, …
FROM table_name;

The SELECT statement is followed by a list of columns to retrieve data from, separated by commas. The FROM keyword is used to specify the table to retrieve data from.

INSERT Statement:
The INSERT statement is used to add new data to a table. The basic syntax for an INSERT statement is as follows:

INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, …)
VALUES (value1, value2, …);

The INSERT INTO keyword is followed by the name of the table to add data to. The column names are listed in parentheses(), separated by commas. The VALUES keyword is followed by a list of values to add to the table, separated by commas.

UPDATE Statement:
The UPDATE statement is used to modify existing data in a table. The basic syntax for an UPDATE statement is as follows:

UPDATE table_name
SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, …
WHERE condition;

The UPDATE keyword is followed by the name of the table to modify. The SET keyword is followed by a list of column-value pairs to modify, separated by commas. The WHERE keyword is used to specify which rows to modify based on a condition.

DELETE Statement:
The DELETE statement is used to remove data from a table. The basic syntax for a DELETE statement is as follows:

DELETE FROM table_name
WHERE condition;

The DELETE FROM keyword is followed by the name of the table to remove data from. The WHERE keyword is used to specify which rows to remove based on a condition.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, SQL is a powerful programming language used to manage and manipulate relational databases. The basic SQL commands include SELECT, FROM, INSERT, UPDATE, WHERE and DELETE, which are used to retrieve data from and manipulate data within a database. By understanding these basic concepts, beginners can start to explore and utilize the vast capabilities of SQL.

Meanwhile, Practice makes perfect…

Thanks for the time to walk through my article, if you find this article a useful resource journal, kindly please, feel free to comment, share, and Like.

Gratitude!!!

Scorefield Bello

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Scorefield Bello
Scorefield Bello

Written by Scorefield Bello

Helping businesses achieve goals with my expertise. | Business Developer | Website Developer | Marketing & Sales Analyst | Digital Tutor | Freelancer👨‍💻

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