There are four basic types of data queries in SQL: SELECT: This statement asks the database to return a specified result set of data; you use this to retrieve information that is stored in your ...

Learn how to master the SELECT statement to form truly useful data queries. This article explains functions, clauses, and keywords that will make your life a lot easier.

SQL Basics I: Data Queries —covers database terminology and the four basic query types. SQL Basics: SELECT statement options —covers the SELECT statement in detail and explains aggregate ...

A common SQL habit is to use SELECT * on a query, because it’s tedious to list all the columns you need. Plus, sometimes those columns may change over time, so why not just do things the easy way?

As I discussed in an earlier column, SQL Server keeps a plan cached for each query it sees (assuming the query requires planning in the first place, of course). That's great for speeding up processing ...

Tables, views, and queries may be blurred together. This facet is why a view may be described as simply a “named” query. As one composes SQL Select statements, the author may use another query in ...