SQL exercises

[SMF]

I am in process of learning SQL for a new job and I was wondering if anyone out there knows a good site that has different exercises or a large premade database I can practice with? Thanks in advance!

[Chief Dick]

I like to put on my leotard and start with some knee bends. Followed by a little torso twisting. I finish with the Chinese whirlybird.

[Kid Cid]

You'll get more out of it if you make the database yourself. MS Access can be used, but the version of SQL used there is something almost completely, but not quite unlike anything used elsewhere. I forget the name of it, but there's an kinda personal version of SQL Server the MS distributes that could be useful. Also you can consider postgres (comes with Linux) or MySQL (although I don't think it is free anymore). If you're feel especially macho, you can download Oracle (it's free if you don't use it in a commercial sense or at least it was the last time I used it several years back). Anyway, I digress.

 

The point I was making is that SQL is about more than just queries. It's also about creating tables, tablespaces, indexes and a host of other little DBA type things. An excercise in creating a database, including doing the data normalization for the database structure, and writing the SQL script to load the data into the database, then writing some SQL queries against this would be an excellent way to learn all about this stuff. You may want to consider perhaps, doing some type of Fantasy Football analysis even if it is on old stats.This way you can combine something you enjoy with this learning exercise. I find it much easier to work with data that I'm interested in (and have an inkling of what the results might be) than to try and figure out a reporting hierarchy of people in an organization or some other droll example.

[Ursa Majoris]

You'll get more out of it if you make the database yourself. MS Access can be used, but the version of SQL used there is something almost completely, but not quite unlike anything used elsewhere. I forget the name of it, but there's an kinda personal version of SQL Server the MS distributes that could be useful. Also you can consider postgres (comes with Linux) or MySQL (although I don't think it is free anymore). If you're feel especially macho, you can download Oracle (it's free if you don't use it in a commercial sense or at least it was the last time I used it several years back). Anyway, I digress.

 

The point I was making is that SQL is about more than just queries. It's also about creating tables, tablespaces, indexes and a host of other little DBA type things. An excercise in creating a database, including doing the data normalization for the database structure, and writing the SQL script to load the data into the database, then writing some SQL queries against this would be an excellent way to learn all about this stuff. You may want to consider perhaps, doing some type of Fantasy Football analysis even if it is on old stats.This way you can combine something you enjoy with this learning exercise. I find it much easier to work with data that I'm interested in (and have an inkling of what the results might be) than to try and figure out a reporting hierarchy of people in an organization or some other droll example.

For an enterprise, there are several roles here. App support and data architect are two and DBA is an obvious third.

 

I had no idea you could get Oracle for free.......it cost us millions.

Edited November 3, 2007 by Ursa Majoris

[DMD]

As I recall, there is SQL language specific to Oracle though. MySQL is a more pure "SQL" and just uses whatever those standards are. A large number of websites use Linux and MySQL including The Huddle. There are a ton of books abouit it and I would bet one has a CD with it with a simple SQL database. I use Access too but that is not what you want to use if you just want basic SQL experience.

 

Here is a download of MySQL Enterprise edition for free trial. It may be bigger than what you want though.

 

There used to be a personal edition of DB2 as well which would let you play with SQL.

 

Here is an SQL tutorial which goes over the basic statements.

 

Here is another

 

This one looks pretty good too

 

And another

 

In my previous life, I used SQL a lot and it is a very simple but powerful way to extract data from a database.

[Ursa Majoris]

As I recall, there is SQL language specific to Oracle though.

Correct. PL-SQL.

[keggerz]

You'll get more out of it if you make the database yourself. MS Access can be used, but the version of SQL used there is something almost completely, but not quite unlike anything used elsewhere. I forget the name of it, but there's an kinda personal version of SQL Server the MS distributes that could be useful. Also you can consider postgres (comes with Linux) or MySQL (although I don't think it is free anymore). If you're feel especially macho, you can download Oracle (it's free if you don't use it in a commercial sense or at least it was the last time I used it several years back). Anyway, I digress.

 

The point I was making is that SQL is about more than just queries. It's also about creating tables, tablespaces, indexes and a host of other little DBA type things. An excercise in creating a database, including doing the data normalization for the database structure, and writing the SQL script to load the data into the database, then writing some SQL queries against this would be an excellent way to learn all about this stuff. You may want to consider perhaps, doing some type of Fantasy Football analysis even if it is on old stats.This way you can combine something you enjoy with this learning exercise. I find it much easier to work with data that I'm interested in (and have an inkling of what the results might be) than to try and figure out a reporting hierarchy of people in an organization or some other droll example.

[TimC]

I like blue.

[isleseeya]

i once benchpressed 205 lbs

[Big Red]

MySQL is great. I also know you used to be able to download Oracle as well. Most are about 95% the same.

[BiggieFries]

I second DMD's post. MySQL is free if you don't get the enterprise version. You won't need it anyway. There are plenty of places on the intertubes that have info on doing SQL. Also follow Kid Cid's advice as doing SQL day in and day will get plenty boring unless you're working with interesting data of some form.

 

Microsoft also has a free version called SQL Server 2005 Express which is free for personal/development use. It is also graphical (once you download the free SQL Server Management 2005 Express). But for you I'd stick with MySQL as a learning tool. I'd also recommend downloading either SQLYog or Aqua Data Studio 4.7 (make sure you get 4.7 as it is the free version) which are graphical sql managers. Unless you feel like doing everything on the command line.

 

If you have any questions just PM me. I work with 3 of the major sql servers (MS SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL) and I know sql pretty well.

 

Good luck.

[The Holy Roller]

I like to put on my leotard and start with some knee bends. Followed by a little torso twisting. I finish with the Chinese whirlybird.

 

 

I'd like to see that. YouTube?

[ts]

You can get a free single-user copy of InterSystems Caché using the link below. The database comes with pre-loaded sample/training tables & the help files/tutorials include exercises in building applets that query & save to those tables. Caché is not quite as main stream as Oracle or MSSQL, but the SQL syntax is similar, so if you are simply looking for a pre-loaded playground of tables to learn on, it might be a good option.

 

http://download.intersystems.com/download/

[SMF]

Thanks for all the info guys I have DLed SQL Server 2005 Express and have created a few tables and preformed different queries with those but I will look into the rest of this stuff as well!

Edited November 6, 2007 by SMF