Course duration: 3 Days

Cost: £995 + VAT

Overview

This 3-day instructor led course provides students with the technical skills required to write basic Transact-SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

This course is intended for SQL Server database administrators, implementers, system engineers, and developers who are responsible for writing queries

Prerequisites

There are no technical pre-requisites for this course and it assumes no prior knowledge of SQL Server. The course is aimed at both non-technical “power users” and IT Professionals who will be writing queries for use with Microsoft SQL Server.

Delegates will learn how to

Describe the uses of and ways to execute the Transact-SQL language.
Use querying tool.
Write SELECT queries to retrieve data.
Group and summarize data by using Transact-SQL.
Join data from multiple tables.
Write queries that retrieve and modify data by using subqueries.
Modify data in tables.
Query text fields with full-text search.
Describe how to create programming objects.
Use various techniques when working with complex queries.

Course outline

Module 1: Getting Started with Databases and Transact-SQL in SQL Server 2008

The student will be introduced to how client/server architecture works, and examine the various database and business tasks that can be performed by using the components of SQL Server 2008. The student will also be introduced to SQL Server database concepts such as relational databases, normalization, and database objects. In addition, the student will learn how to use T-SQL to query databases and generate reports.

Overview of SQL Server 2008
Overview of SQL Server Databases
Overview and Syntax Elements of T-SQL
Working with T-SQL Scripts
Using T-SQL Querying Tools
Lab : Using SQL Server Management Studio and SQLCMD

Exploring the Components and Executing Queries in SQL Server Management Studio
Starting and Using SQLCMD
Generating a Report from a SQL Server Database Using Microsoft Office Excel

Module 2: Querying and Filtering Data

The students will be introduced to the basic Transact-SQL (T-SQL) statements that are used for writing queries, filtering data, and formatting result sets.

Using the SELECT Statement
Filtering Data
Working with NULL Values
Formatting Result Sets
Performance Considerations for Writing Queries
Lab : Querying and Filtering Data

Retrieving Data by Using the SELECT Statement
Filtering Data by Using Different Search Conditions
Using Functions to Work with NULL Values
Formatting Result Sets

Module 3: Grouping and Summarizing Data

The students will learn to group and summarize data when generating reports in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 by using aggregate functions and the COMPUTE clause.

Summarizing Data by Using Aggregate Functions
Summarizing Grouped Data
Ranking Grouped Data
Creating Crosstab Queries
Lab : Grouping and Summarizing Data

Summarizing Data by Using Aggregate Functions
Summarizing Grouped Data
Ranking Grouped Data
Creating Crosstab Queries

Module 4: Joining Data from Multiple Tables

The students will learn to write joins to query multiple tables, as well as limiting and combining result sets.

Querying Multiple Tables by Using Joins
Applying Joins for Typical Reporting Needs
Combining and Limiting Result Set
Lab : Joining Data from Multiple Tables

Querying Multiple Tables by Using Joins
Applying Joins for Typical Reporting Needs
Combining and Limiting Result Sets

Module 5: Working with Subqueries

The students will be introduced to basic and correlated subqueries and how these compare with joins and temporary tables. The students will also be introduced to using common table expressions in queries.

Writing Basic Subqueries
Writing Correlated Subqueries
Comparing Subqueries with Joins and Temporary Tables
Using Common Table Expressions
Lab : Working with Subqueries

Writing Basic Subqueries
Writing Correlated Subqueries
Comparing Subqueries with Joins and Temporary Tables
Using Common Table Expressions

Module 6: Modifying Data in Tables

The students will be able to modify the data in tables by using the INSERT, DELETE, and UPDATE statements. In addition, students will examine how transactions work in a database, the importance of transaction isolation levels, and how to manage transactions.

Inserting Data into Tables
Deleting Data from Tables
Updating Data in Tables
Overview of Transactions
Lab : Modifying Data in Tables

Inserting Data into Tables
Deleting Data from Tables
Updating Data in Tables
Working with Transactions

Module 7: Querying Metadata, XML, and Full-Text Indexes

The students will learn to query semi-structured and unstructured data. The students will also learn how SQL Server 2008 handles XML data and will query XML data. The students will also be introduced to full-text indexing in SQL Server 2008.

Querying Metadata
Overview of XML
Querying XML Data
Overview of Full-Text Indexes
Querying Full-Text Indexes
Lab : Querying Metadata, XML, and Full-Text Indexes

Querying Metadata
Querying XML Data
Creating and Querying Full-Text Indexes

Module 8: Using Programming Objects for Data Retrieval

The students will be introduced to user-defined functions and executing various kinds of queries by using user-defined functions. The students will be introduced to SQL Server views that encapsulate data and present users with limited and relevant information. In addition, the students will be introduced to SQL Server stored procedures and the functionalities of the various programming objects. The students will learn how to perform distributed queries and how SQL Server works with heterogeneous data such as databases, spreadsheets, and other servers.

Overview of Views
Overview of User-Defined Functions
Overview of Stored Procedures
Overview of Triggers
Writing Distributed Queries
Lab : Using Programming Objects for Data Retrieval

Creating Views
Creating User-Defined Functions
Creating Stored Procedures
Writing Distributed Queries

Module 9: Using Advanced Querying Techniques

The students will be introduced to best practices for querying complex data. The students will also examine how to query complex table structures such as data stored in hierarchies and self-referencing tables. The students will analyze the recommended guidelines for executing queries and how to optimize query performance.

Considerations for Querying Data
Working with Data Types
Cursors and Set-Based Queries
Dynamic SQL
Maintaining Query Files
Lab : Using Advanced Querying Techniques

Using Execution Plans
Converting Data Types
Implementing a Hierarchy
Using Cursors and Set-Based Queries