Since early 2015 I’ve been an active member of the DigitalOcean’s community program (honoured with the Community Doer cover in 2018), writing articles and tutorials on open-source software, SysOps/DevOps topics, server maintenance, programming and databases. During that time, I’ve written over 70 pieces, all of which are available on the community site and on Mateusz Papiernik’s Digital Ocean profile.
Structured Query Language (SQL) is the go-to language for managing relational databases. It’s ideal for working with structured data that fits neatly into a predefined data model. SQL is also an essential tool for developers and system administrators in various contexts, from web application development to data analytics. While raw SQL is often hidden behind automated tools, familiarity with it is essential for building efficient solutions and solving problems when they arise.
DigitalOcean’s How to Use SQL series aims to help you get started with SQL. It includes a mix of conceptual articles and tutorials that introduce you to various SQL concepts and practices.
I’ve contributed a series of articles on SQL (and MySQL) towards this thorough series and I invite you to check them out, as well as the whole series, co-authored with Mark Drake, and Jeanelle Horcasitas!
Table of Contents
I encourage you to visit another series on databases I’ve authored, teaching all things MongoDB.
Learning MongoDB with Mateusz @DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean’s How To Manage Data with MongoDB series provides an overview of MongoDB’s features and how you can use them to manage and interact with your documents.
Why You Should Learn SQL
SQL (Structured Query Language) defines, manipulates, and queries data held in relational databases. SQL is used in many industries and with the most popular tools. Even if you don’t use SQL directly, you can still benefit from understanding its concepts. This conceptual article outlines why it’s worth learning SQL and reviews where and how you can apply that knowledge.
How To Use Stored Procedures in MySQL
MySQL supports the use of stored procedures, which group one or multiple SQL statements for reuse under a common name. Using stored procedures, you can create reusable routines for common tasks to be used across multiple applications, provide data validation, or deliver an additional layer of data access security. In this tutorial, you’ll learn what stored procedures are and how to create basic stored procedures that return data and use both input and output parameters.
How To Use Primary Keys in SQL
In SQL, primary keys serve as identifiers for individual rows in a table. In this tutorial, you’ll learn about primary keys and use a few different kinds to identify unique rows in database tables. Using some sample datasets, you’ll create primary keys on single columns and multiple columns, and use autoincrementing sequential keys.
How To Use Triggers in MySQL
When working with relational databases and SQL, most operations on the data are performed as a result of explicitly executed queries, such as SELECT, INSERT, or UPDATE. However, SQL databases can also be instructed to perform pre-defined actions automatically every time a specific event occurs through triggers. In this tutorial, you’ll use different SQL triggers to automatically perform actions where rows are inserted, updated, or deleted.
How To Use Indexes in MySQL
As the data in a database increases, search performance can suffer. The larger the dataset, the harder it is for the database engine to find the documents that match the query quickly. Database administrators can use indexes to aid the database engine and improve its performance. In this tutorial, you’ll learn what indexes are, how to create them, and confirm whether they’re used to query the database.
How To Use Functions in SQL
When working with relational databases and Structured Query Language (SQL), you can store, manage, and retrieve data from the relational database management system. SQL can also perform calculations and manipulate data through the use of functions. In this tutorial, you’ll use different SQL functions to perform mathematical calculations, manipulate strings and dates, and calculate summaries using aggregate functions.
How To Use Unions in SQL
When retrieving data from a database, you may need to refer to more than one table at a time. In Structured Query Language (SQL), you can use the `UNION` operation, which takes the results of two queries with matching columns and merges them into one. In this guide, you will use `UNION` operations to retrieve data from more than one table simultaneously and combine the results. You will also combine the `UNION` operator with filtering to order the results.
MySQL is not your cup of tea? Check out the assortment of Mateusz Papiernik’s tutorials on system administration @DigitalOcean, too!
And if you need a development team with in-depth MySQL experience…
Let’s talk!
CTO @ Makimo. Software engineer by heart, who learns and adapts quickly and like making impossible things possible. Technical writer for DigitalOcean and technical editor for Helion. After work, a wine writer and an amateur pianist.
