SQL for Newbies: An Intro to Structured Query Language

If you’re at all familiar with programming languages, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard of SQL. And with its ability to quickly and precisely pull information from databases large and small, there’s a good reason for that. 

With a little SQL knowledge in your toolkit, you can start managing, manipulating and accessing data like a pro. 

What Is SQL, Exactly?

Structured Query Language, or SQL for short, is a staple in the computer science world. First created by IBM researchers in the early 1970s (yep, SQL is older than Star Wars), it soon gained popularity with developers and in the late 1980s was adopted as a standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 

Most importantly, SQL has stood the test of time. It’s still the standard database language, with a survey of over 60,000 developers finding that four of the ten most used database technologies revolve around SQL specifically:

In fact, the same survey also found that SQL is the third most-used programming language among professional developers, period. 

The reason behind SQL’s long-running success? It’s simply the most effective and stable database language for most applications, and its status as a standardized language means it won’t be falling out of favor anytime soon.

How SQL Is Used 

SQL is designed to manage data within relational databases—in other words, a database in which all of the included data points have defined relationships to one another. 

That might sound like a broad statement, and that’s because it is. SQL has a vast range of applications, which is precisely what makes it so versatile. 

For instance: 

• In marketing, SQL can be used to discover which pieces of content are most frequently clicked on by users.
• In finance, it can help analysts identify trends between transactions and customers.
• In healthcare, it’s used to easily access information about patients and their conditions, medications and test results.
• In data science, it makes it simpler for data scientists to organize and find relevant data. 

Essentially, the ways in which SQL can be used to manage data are nearly endless—just like Microsoft Excel, SQL is simply a tool that anyone can use for any purpose they wish. 

SQL Query Examples

Every time you make a Google search, you’re entering a search query which Google’s algorithms use to determine which webpages to pull from its database.

The same principle applies to SQL, with a query being a request for certain data points. 

For example, if you had a relational database containing all the students attending a school, you might want to search the database for all students with the last name of Duck or Mouse. So, you could use the following SQL query to do so: 

SELECT COUNT(*) AS NumberofStudents

FROM Students

WHERE LastName IN (‘Duck’, ‘Mouse’)

After running such a query, the program you’re using will access the database and tell you exactly how many students match those criteria: 

In that same database, SQL queries could also be used to quickly find any student’s ID number, identify all students born within a certain year or discover how many students share a particular name. 

SQL Platforms and Tools 

Developers using SQL can choose from a wealth of platforms and tools designed to make working with SQL as straightforward and streamlined as possible. 

Some of the most widely used ones include: 

• MySQL: First released in 1995, MySQL is the go-to SQL tool of choice for countless developers. It’s open source, and has both free and paid versions available for download. 
• PostgreSQL: Also released in the mid-1990s, PostgreSQL is a database with robust features and impressive scalability. It’s also entirely free and open source. 
• Microsoft SQL Server: Designed for use by businesses with their own databases (and priced accordingly), Microsoft SQL Server also has the benefit of native Azure integration. 
• Adminer: Contained in just a single PHP file, Adminer is a lightweight database management tool that’s also free and open source.  
• RazorSQL: With its blend of user-friendly features and advanced capabilities, RazorSQL is well-suited to both beginners and professional developers. 
• SQuirreL SQL: If you’re working with databases using Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), then SQuirreL SQL is a tool worth looking into. 
• DBeaver: Another free and open source tool, DBeaver supports all major databases and includes an SQL editor. 
• Oracle SQL Developer: Specifically meant to be used with Oracle databases, SQL Developer comes with a number of powerful features which help make data analysis and management easier. 

Suffice it to say that regardless of your needs and skill level, there’s sure to be an SQL tool that works for you.  

How to Learn SQL 

Aspiring SQL experts will be happy to hear that thanks to its straightforward syntax, SQL is considered to be one of the easiest programming languages to learn. 

SQL Courses 

The first step of the learning process is determining which type of SQL course you’d like to take. In general, your options can be broken down into two main categories: 

• online courses, which teach you about the ins and outs of SQL in a digital setting; and
• in-person courses, which provide SQL education in a brick and mortar location. 

Some students prefer online SQL courses due to their flexibility and accessibility: you’re free to learn at your own pace, as well as to take your course wherever you’d like. Plus, the sheer number of online courses available make it easy to choose one that suits your skill level, whether it’s an introduction to SQL and databases or a course about how to use MySQL specifically.

Conversely, other students value the face-to-face interaction that only in-person classes can provide. 

There is no single right answer—just be sure to pick the option that’s best-tailored to your needs. 

SQL Certification 

After getting comfortable with SQL, you can prove your prowess to potential employers (or just to yourself) by obtaining SQL certification. 

Not sure where to start? Some of the most practical certification options include: 

• W3Schools SQL Certificate: A solid all-around option to demonstrate general SQL skills. 
• MySQL Certification: Choose between getting certified as a MySQL database administrator or MySQL developer.
• Azure Data Fundamentals: A certification from Microsoft that proves proficiency with data in Azure specifically. 
• Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate Certification: Ideal for developers and data analysts who work or want to work with the Oracle Database server. 
• PostgreSQL Certification: Get certified as either a PostgreSQL associate or professional. 

Jobs for SQL Developers and Programmers

Being well-versed in SQL can help you get employed in several different positions in almost any industry. 

Database Engineer

Rather than accessing and manipulating data within an already-established database, database engineers are responsible for designing and maintaining databases themselves. 

And with an average annual salary of $112,000, database engineers are well-compensated for their work, too. 

Data Scientist

Similar to data analysts but with a broader scope of work, data scientists build models, design algorithms and gather raw data. 

In terms of salary, data scientists enjoy an average annual salary of about $145,000.  

Business Analyst 

If you’re interested in using data-driven insights to make real-world decisions, you might want to consider becoming a business analyst. 

In exchange for helping businesses interpret their data points and make more profitable decisions based on them, business analysts are paid an average annual salary of $84,000. 

Web Developer

You might think of web developers as people who primarily work on altering a website’s appearance, back-end and full-stack developers can benefit from using languages like SQL to manage sites’ data. 

A web developer’s salary can vary greatly depending on their workload and place of employment, with an average annual salary of $79,000.

SQL and Databases: A Match Made in Heaven

It’s impossible to talk about databases, data analysis or even data science as a whole without also mentioning SQL. And with its easy-to-learn structure and syntax, powerful capabilities and unrivaled accessibility, it’s not hard to see why. 

So if you’re at all interested in data science, database management or back-end development, it’s worth learning how to use SQL. You’re sure to be glad you did.

Written By

Carrie Buchholz

Carrie Buchholz is a freelance writer who lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and dog.

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