SQL Server Course for Beginners with 100+ examples

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

5 hours 56 minutes
Sessions

On-Demand
Subtitles

English

Found in

Overview

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This course features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Dive into SQL Server with this comprehensive beginner-friendly course. Whether you’re just starting or looking to strengthen your SQL skills, this course ensures hands-on experience through over 100 examples, making concepts clearer and more practical. You’ll begin by understanding the fundamentals of SQL and its powerful features, followed by installation guides tailored for Windows 10 and 11. As you move forward, you’ll dive into creating databases and tables, and learn how to insert, select, and manage records in SQL. The course’s logical flow helps build confidence, while learning how to work with constraints, operators, and built-in functions provides a strong foundation. Advanced topics, such as stored procedures, indexing, and database backups, ensure you’re equipped to handle real-world challenges. Throughout the course, you’ll have access to step-by-step tutorials, interactive exercises, and troubleshooting guides that will teach you best practices and help you grow your SQL expertise. You’ll get an inside look at SQL Server Management Studio and gain proficiency in essential SQL tasks, such as updating records, creating backups, and optimizing queries. By the end, you’ll be well-versed in the core components of SQL Server and ready to apply your skills in professional environments. This course is perfect for beginners, IT professionals, and anyone interested in mastering SQL Server. Whether you’re looking to transition into database management or want to enhance your data skills, this course is tailored for you. No prior experience with SQL is required, making this ideal for those new to database management. By the end of the course, you will be able to create databases and tables, use SQL queries to manipulate data, troubleshoot installation issues, and optimize SQL queries for better performance.

Syllabus

SQL Introduction

In this module, we will begin by exploring the core concepts of SQL and its essential role in relational database management systems (RDBMS). You will also learn the key differences between SQL and NoSQL databases, using MySQL and MongoDB as practical examples. This module equips you with the foundational knowledge to understand when and why to use SQL or NoSQL databases based on your project requirements.

SQL Installation and Setup

In this module, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of installing Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server Management Studio on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. You will also learn how to troubleshoot and fix common installation errors, ensuring a successful setup. Finally, we will provide updated instructions for installing the latest SQL Server 2025 edition, equipping you with everything needed for a seamless installation experience.

Create and Insert

In this module, we will walk you through the essential steps to create a new database and design tables within SQL Server. You will also learn how to efficiently insert records into these tables using the SQL INSERT INTO statement. This hands-on module will help you develop the fundamental skills needed for managing data in SQL Server.

Select Records in SQL

In this module, we will explore the foundational techniques for retrieving data from SQL tables. You’ll learn how to use the SELECT statement to choose specific columns, eliminate duplicates with SELECT DISTINCT, and refine your results using the WHERE clause for more precise queries. This section ensures you can pull exactly the data you need, with greater control and efficiency.

Order Records in SQL

In this module, we will delve into sorting your query results using the ORDER BY keyword. You’ll learn how to organize your data in both ascending and descending order to enhance clarity and analysis. By the end of this section, you’ll be able to present data in a structured, easily interpretable format.

Operators in SQL

In this module, we will explore a variety of SQL operators that enable you to filter and refine your query results. You’ll learn how to combine multiple conditions with AND, return records that meet any one of several conditions using OR, and exclude certain results using NOT. Additionally, you’ll master filtering with IN, retrieving records within a range using BETWEEN, and performing pattern matching with the LIKE operator. By the end of this section, you’ll have a powerful set of tools to perform more advanced and efficient queries.

Built-In Functions in SQL

In this module, we will explore the essential built-in functions in SQL that help you perform calculations and aggregations on your data. You’ll learn how to find the highest and lowest values with the MAX() and MIN() functions, calculate totals using SUM(), determine averages with AVG(), and count the rows returned by a query with COUNT(). These functions will allow you to derive meaningful insights from your data quickly and effectively.

Constraints in SQL

In this module, we will dive into SQL constraints, which help enforce data integrity and structure within your database. You’ll learn how to use constraints like NOT NULL to ensure values are provided, UNIQUE to prevent duplicates, and PRIMARY KEY to uniquely identify records. Additionally, you’ll explore FOREIGN KEY for establishing relationships across tables and CHECK to enforce specific conditions on column values. By mastering these constraints, you’ll be able to build more reliable and consistent databases.

Alter and Update in SQL

In this module, we will explore how to make changes to your database structure and data. You’ll learn how to modify existing tables with the ALTER TABLE statement, update records selectively using the UPDATE statement, and simplify queries by creating aliases for tables and columns. These skills will allow you to efficiently manage and adjust your database while keeping queries clear and easy to understand.

Advanced SQL

In this module, we will explore advanced SQL techniques to optimize your database management and query efficiency. You’ll learn how to create stored procedures for reusability, improve query performance with indexes, and safely back up your database. Additionally, we’ll cover how to work with SQL Views for simplified data access and explore methods to limit query results with the SELECT TOP clause. You will also learn how to permanently remove tables from the database when necessary. By mastering these concepts, you’ll be able to take your SQL skills to the next level.