SQL for Humanities: Glossary

SQL allows us to select and group subsets of data, do math and other calculations, and combine data.

A relational database is made up of tables which are related to each other by shared keys.

Different database management systems (DBMS) use slightly different vocabulary, but they are all based on the same ideas.

It is useful to apply conventions when writing SQL queries to aid readability.

Use logical connectors such as AND or OR to create more complex queries.

Calculations using mathematical symbols can also be performed on SQL queries.

Adding comments in SQL helps keep complex queries understandable.

Use the GROUP BY keyword to aggregate data.

Functions like MIN, MAX, AVERAGE, SUM, COUNT, etc. operate on aggregated data.

Use the HAVING keyword to filter on aggregate properties.

Use a VIEW to access the result of a query as though it was a new table.

Use the JOIN command to combine data from two tables—the ON or USING keywords specify which columns link the tables.

Regular JOIN returns only matching rows. Other join commands provide different behavior, e.g., LEFT JOIN retains all rows of the table on the left side of the command.

IFNULL allows you to specify a value to use in place of NULL, which can help in joins

NULLIF can be used to replace certain values with NULL in results

Many other functions like IFNULL and NULLIF can operate on individual values.

Aliases can help shorten long queries. To write clear and readible queries, use the AS keyword when creating aliases.