SQL Syntax (2024)

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SQL Statements

Most of the actions you need to perform on a database are done with SQL statements.

SQL statements consists of keywords that are easy to understand.

The following SQL statement returns all records from a table named "Customers":

Example

Select all records from the Customers table:

SELECT * FROM Customers;

Try it Yourself »

In this tutorial we will teach you all about the different SQL statements.

Database Tables

A database most often contains one or more tables. Each table is identified by a name (e.g. "Customers" or "Orders"), and contain records (rows) with data.

In this tutorial we will use the well-known Northwind sample database (included in MS Access and MS SQL Server).

Below is a selection from the Customers table used in the examples:

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitución 2222	México D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taquería	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	México D.F.	05023	Mexico
4	Around the Horn	Thomas Hardy	120 Hanover Sq.	London	WA1 1DP	UK
5	Berglunds snabbköp	Christina Berglund	Berguvsvägen 8	Luleå	S-958 22	Sweden

The table above contains five records (one for each customer) and seven columns (CustomerID, CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, and Country).

Keep in Mind That...

SQL keywords are NOT case sensitive: select is the same as SELECT

In this tutorial we will write all SQL keywords in upper-case.

Semicolon after SQL Statements?

Some database systems require a semicolon at the end of each SQL statement.

Semicolon is the standard way to separate each SQL statement in database systems that allow more than one SQL statement to be executed in the same call to the server.

In this tutorial, we will use semicolon at the end of each SQL statement.

Some of The Most Important SQL Commands

SELECT - extracts data from a database
UPDATE - updates data in a database
DELETE - deletes data from a database
INSERT INTO - inserts new data into a database
CREATE DATABASE - creates a new database
ALTER DATABASE - modifies a database
CREATE TABLE - creates a new table
ALTER TABLE - modifies a table
DROP TABLE - deletes a table
CREATE INDEX - creates an index (search key)
DROP INDEX - deletes an index

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FAQs

What is the basic syntax of SQL? ›

SQL Quick Reference from W3Schools

SQL Statement	Syntax
ORDER BY	SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name ORDER BY column_name [ASC\|DESC]
SELECT	SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name
SELECT *	SELECT * FROM table_name
SELECT DISTINCT	SELECT DISTINCT column_name(s) FROM table_name

29 more rows

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What is in syntax in SQL? ›

The IN command allows you to specify multiple values in a WHERE clause. The IN operator is a shorthand for multiple OR conditions.

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Is SQL syntax easy? ›

My view is that it is fairly easy-ish for a beginner to learn the immediate basics, but SQL also has a number of extremely non-trivial considerations (trinary logic as well as the fact that the same syntax will result in potentially different behavior depending on the database system and SQL dialect) that make even ...

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How to write SQL syntax? ›

How to Create a SQL Statement

Start your query with the select statement. select [all | distinct] ...
Add field names you want to display. field1 [,field2, 3, 4, etc.] ...
Add your statement clause(s) or selection criteria. Required: ...
Review your select statement. Here's a sample statement:

Oct 13, 2022

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Is SQL hard to learn? ›

Learning SQL is generally considered easier than many other programming languages, and mastery of SQL can facilitate learning other programming languages such as Python or JavaScript. Knowledge of SQL can open many professional doors across various industries including finance, social media, and music.

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How to learn SQL for beginners? ›

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How to learn basic SQL commands? ›

Some of The Most Important SQL Commands

SELECT - extracts data from a database.
UPDATE - updates data in a database.
DELETE - deletes data from a database.
INSERT INTO - inserts new data into a database.
CREATE DATABASE - creates a new database.
ALTER DATABASE - modifies a database.
CREATE TABLE - creates a new table.

More items...

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What is the basic knowledge of SQL? ›

Structured query language (SQL) is a programming language for storing and processing information in a relational database. A relational database stores information in tabular form, with rows and columns representing different data attributes and the various relationships between the data values.

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What is SQL syntax with an example? ›

An SQL SELECT statement retrieves records from a database table according to clauses (for example, FROM and WHERE ) that specify criteria. The syntax is: SELECT column1, column2 FROM table1, table2 WHERE column2='value';

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What is the most common syntax in SQL? ›

SELECT is probably the most commonly-used SQL statement. You'll use it pretty much every time you query data with SQL. It allows you to define what data you want your query to return. For example, in the code below, we're selecting a column called name from a table called customers .

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What is a query syntax? ›

The term syntax refers to strict structural patterns used when creating a query. As soon as you enter the search criteria using the correct syntax, the query should execute, and the requested records retrieved from the target database.

Is SQL hard than Python? ›

Unlike other programming languages, such as Python, SQL provides an easy-to-learn syntax and a simple interface for creating SQL statements.

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Is SQL tough or Python? ›

Compared to Python, SQL is a much simpler language. It's also exclusively used for data. That means it's easier to learn, and it provides the quickest, most efficient means of performing simple data analyses.

Can I teach myself SQL? ›

Even if you lack experience with web or software development, you can begin learning SQL on your own and start working toward a mastery of the language.

What is SQL and its syntax? ›

Structured Query Language (SQL) is defined as a standard programming language utilized to extract, organize, manage, and manipulate data stored in relational databases. This article explains the fundamentals of the SQL programming language, its elements, examples, and uses in 2022.

Keep Reading ›

What is basic syntax? ›

In linguistics, syntax refers to the rules that govern the formation of grammatically correct sentences. Similarly, in computer programming, syntax refers to the rules that govern the structure of the symbols, words, and punctuation found in programming languages.

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SQL Syntax (2024)

SQL Statements

Example

Database Tables

Keep in Mind That...

Semicolon after SQL Statements?

Some of The Most Important SQL Commands

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FAQs

What is the basic syntax of SQL? ›

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