12 Oct 2018 Aldo Zelen How SQL supports data-driven organization Typical business users make decisions based on gut feelings, but this can't get them so far. In this article, we'll look at how learning to write basic SQL queries helps your company become a data-driven organization. Businesses face many decisions. Do we increase our advertising budget in one region or the other? Are certain products selling quickly enough? What we should do if they aren't? Most of these decisions are driven by intuition, but organizations that make the most business impact use data-driven decision-making. Read more 14 Aug 2018 Aldo Zelen SQL Indexing 101 Indexes are one of the most misused and misunderstood entities in physical database design. A good understanding of indexes and how they solve database performance problems is necessary for any database novice. In this article, we'll look at basic database indexes and their role in database development. To picture what an index is, consider a textbook. At the end of most textbooks is an index listing all the terms one can find in the text and the pages on which they appear. Read more 31 Jul 2018 Aldo Zelen How to Use a SQL Wildcard SQL wildcard allows us to filter data matching certain patterns in SQL. We use SQL wildcards with the LIKE operator in the WHERE clause of a query to filter data. In this beginner’s article, we’ll look at everything you need to know about basic SQL wildcards. If you like playing cards, then you know that wildcards can substitute any other card in your deck. Similarly, SQL wildcards can substitute one or more characters. Read more 18 Jul 2018 Aldo Zelen SQL Filtering 101 Sometimes, SQL queries return lots of data you don't need. In this article, we'll look at a simple example of filtering SQL queries to reduce the complexity of your data. The key to learning how to filter data in SQL is understanding the very basics of Boolean algebra. That's just a fancy term mathematicians use to describe expressions involving logical values (true/false) and their associated operators (and, or, not, etc. Read more 17 Apr 2018 Aldo Zelen Essential SQL Terms to Know for Beginners and Pros Updated on: April 11, 2024 Working with databases can seem daunting to a non-technical person. Right away, you’re bombarded with new terms that make your head spin. Database, database instance, table, SQL and others are some of the basic terms that you need to understand just to have a normal conversation with your technical colleagues. In this article, we’ll explore some basic SQL database terminology you need to know to succeed. Read more 4 Apr 2018 Aldo Zelen How to Become a Database Analyst Curious about becoming a database analyst? Maybe you've taken some database courses at university and they really struck a chord. Or maybe you learned online. Now you're thinking about making a career out of working with databases. Where would you start? What should you expect at each phase of your professional development? In this post, we'll explore the challenging and exciting world of databases analysis. We'll go from the very beginning of a career to the apex of professional success. Read more 5 Jan 2018 Aldo Zelen 18 Useful Important SQL Functions to Learn ASAP Updated on: October 30th, 2023 Learning a new programming language can seem intimidating. Like any other language, a programming language has a large vocabulary that you need to master. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most useful SQL functions that you need to know. Structured Query Language, commonly known as SQL, is the standard language for managing and querying data in relational databases. Born out of the need to efficiently interact with large datasets, SQL has become an indispensable tool for database administrators, data analysts, and developers alike. Read more 21 Dec 2017 Aldo Zelen How to Draw a Christmas Tree in SQL You can use SQL to manipulate all kinds of data, from huge analytical queries to brief single-purpose statements. But you can also use SQL just for fun, without any business requirements stifling your creativity. So, get out your jolly hat and prepare to sing O Christmas Tree as we create some quirky art with plain old SQL. Today, we’re going to generate some holiday-themed ASCII art, just for fun. That’s right. Read more 12 Dec 2017 Aldo Zelen Simplify SQL Code: Recursive Queries in DBMS Hey SQL users! Are you repeating the same query in every report? Are your queries getting too complicated? Use recursive queries to simplify SQL code! Too many SQL reports can lead to clutter on your desktop and in your head. And is it really necessary to code each of them separately? Ad-hoc queries can share much of the same SQL code with managerial reports and even regulatory reports. Suppose you’ve been writing basic SQL code for a while. Read more 13 Nov 2017 Aldo Zelen SQL Reporting Guide for Business Professionals Working with the financial aspects of large and small enterprises can be a daunting task for a business professional. In this article, we'll look at several ways of constructing the perfect SQL report. You've probably already heard about SQL from your colleagues or in other areas of your career. If you're here, you've likely concluded that learning SQL will make your professional life easier – and you're right! Read more «« « 1 2 3 » »»