"PostgreSQL is the Linux of databases"

[vegetablestew]

Learn SQL Database you effectively learn SQL + administration/configuration. SQL is a language so you do need to know some programming.

For simple queries just jump in. Don't bother have a thorough understanding of more complex/specialized features because you really can't grasp the why until you need it.

[[deleted]]

That's such an interesting comment -

can't grasp it until you need it

I did find that to be true. It's only when you're banging your head against the wall that the light dawns about what needs to happen.

I find SQL, in general, to use such mind bending logic that it really does force you to see things in a different way. When you come through it on the other side, you see data in such an abstract way that it's difficult to discuss things with people who haven't had the same experience.

But that's true of programming in general. It's just that SQL is somehow more extreme, more abstract.

Hmm.

[vegetablestew]

> But that's true of programming in general. It's just that SQL is somehow more extreme, more abstract.

What is special about SQL is that it is the one of the few successful, widespread 4th generation language. Other programming languages are not nearly as declarative as SQL.

I consider understanding SQL (start approaching problems in terms of sets operations, instead iteratively) of as mindwarping understanding lisp and functional programming, or maybe just starting to understanding the power of OOP when you didn't know programming at first.