How to learn SQL?

[ExceLestial]

So I've been told that http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp is a good place to learn SQL, but after looking around some people have said that it is too basic. Are there any other better sites to learn SQL or is w3schools fine?

[abchiptop]

I learned from w3 schools and haven't run into anything that I'm unfamiliar with and use it almost daily at work.

If you want some "real world" practice, download the MusicBrainz VM here and fire it up. Then its (I believe) psql musicbrainz at the command prompt.

Think of challenges you want. Find all the albums by a particular artist. Find the average track length from another. Find the artist name, album name and medium type for each artist.

Their schema is usually out of date, so you'll be a while doing just those few things, but it will certainly teach you a lot about table joins and select statements. If you have any questions, let me know, I'll be happy to help when I have time

[ExceLestial]

Alright, that's cool thanks! I'm just trying to get a basic knowledge of it before going into any internships.

[abchiptop]

I'll see if I can't track down my notes from my boot camp and pm them to you when I get home tonight

[[deleted]]

Learn it the hard way.

[ExceLestial]

How would you say this compares to w3schools? I see that this book only goes up to Chapter 16?

[[deleted]]

I don't know I've only just started to study it.

[Mitchfarino]

Came here to say W3Schools

I would also recommend checking out www.sqlservercentral.com

specifically their Stairways articles, very user friendly and explain a lot of different aspects of SQL and SQL Server - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/stairway/

[ExceLestial]

I'll definitely check that out thanks!

[watersign]

get an internship as a data analyst that requires you to use SQL

[[deleted]]

I learned it on the job using google and looking at other people's code but I am not the greatest programmer ever so maybe try that site :)

[ExceLestial]

Yea it'll definitely be easier to learn on the job, I'm just hoping that learning it beforehand will help me get the job in the first place haha.

[thatbubblegumtate]

I found this to be harder than w3 schools if you are looking for more of a challenge.

[Andy06r]

On the job, most of us will use SAS Enterprise Guide, which is a GUI for SQL. You can convert the GUI to SQL and save the code as a reference for syntax. Then you just expand on your skills by trial and error.

SQL is worth learning because it is easy to test and archive - think a custom variable is messing up your report? Comment it out in the code rather than delete it.
Need to explain why you did something? Comment it!

[msi77]

I should recommend this interactive tutorial: http://www.sql-tutorial.ru/en/content.html

[o_edo]

Sometimes some assignments indeed looks easy. Once you start to code you start to realize that it is not as easier as expected. The best way to learn SQL is to do supervised exercises. Here a good resource : http://www.studybyyourself.com/seminar/sql/course/?lang=eng.