How to Practice PostgreSQL Online

PostgreSQL is hot right now!If you want to join a community of people passionate about data, this open-source database system is something you need to try.

Like everything we teach on LearnSQL.com, PostgreSQL requires practice. To profit from Postgres – as this dialect is sometimes called – you need to start with the basics. You can watch some tutorials on YouTube or read articles to get to know what a Database Management System (DBMS) is. Once you install PostgreSQL, you will need to learn how to start writing queries and building your own reports

To understand the whole picture, I recommend taking some online courses. They can give you needed insight into the PostgreSQL world. What’s more, interactive courses let you practice writing PostgreSQL and give you real-time feedback. If you want to become an advanced user and eventually an expert, this will help you accelerate your progress.

How Cool is PostgreSQL?

Postgres is an object-relational database system that has been in use since the eighties. The first really cool thing about it is that it’s open source and free to use. It is built and developed by IT enthusiasts all over the world. Each day, someone is writing new extensions and scripts, extending its functionality. Also. many well-known companies use PostgreSQL.

As we can read on the PostgreSQL website, it is recognized for its “proven architecture, reliability, data integrity, robust feature set, extensibility, and the dedication of the open-source community behind the software”.

This database runs on all major operating systems and is perfect if you need to work with complex data workloads and huge datasets. It’s also ideal for very complicated SQL queries and multiple tables. But you don’t need to be advanced to start using it. You will be able to start using its potential knowing just the basics.

How to Start to Practicing PostgreSQL

First, try our online PostgreSQL Basics course if you have no experience with the language. You can also start with Standard SQL and then switch to PostgreSQL when you get to the more advanced stuff; Standard SQL works across all databases, although you may occasionally need to make some small adjustments.

You don’t need any IT knowledge for these introductory courses. They will guide you through exercises and hints. Essentially, you’ll learn how to communicate with PostgreSQL databases. Within the first few lessons, you’ll understand how tables work, what relational databases are, and how to write simple SQL queries.

The Basics course starts with a general explanation and then goes to the first SQL statement, SELECT. That is how you will get information from a table. Then you will move to multiple tables and learn how to JOIN them and group data according to your needs. You’ll be introduced to basic operators (i.e. LIKE, IN, and BETWEEN), SQL set operations (UNION, INTERSECT, and EXCEPT) and see how to use INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN.

In the next steps, interactive exercises will show you how to create simple reports and use aggregate functions to summarize data. Imagine yourself working with one or more tables and writing subqueries and instructions. Yes, this is something you can achieve by practicing PostgreSQL online.

The PostgreSQL Basics course will take you about 10 hours to complete. You will get through 130 interactive SQL exercises. If you get stuck, you can always get a hint or contact our community via the discussion tab.

Practicing PostgreSQL online is very convenient. You can learn at your own pace, wherever you want, track your progress, and review what you have learned so far.

You will see how quickly you will make progress. Even the basics may help you in your business or career. For analysts, learning SQL a great way to go beyond spreadsheets and handle massive amounts of data. If you’re a student, it can be a good way to develop your skills and analytical competencies, especially in our data-driven world.

More and More Practice

Think about famous piano players like Martha Argerich or Keith Jarrett – why do their fingers fly so fast on the keyboard? There are three things they’ve done to get so good, and you will have to do these things too after completing the SQL Basics course:

PostgreSQL Practice Set

You can try to use free online datasets or even try to create some projects on your own. But it can be hard to come up with practice problems and scenarios. Also, it’s good to have a learning path, where you can find your current level of experience and see what you need to do to progress.

That is why LearnSQL’s Practice Set in PostgreSQL is so useful. Its 88 exercises are designed for those who already know basic Postgres. The set starts with a review of the fundamentals. You can test what you remember about aggregation and the GROUP BY and ORDER BY clauses. Next, you’ll move into JOINs and simple and correlated subqueries. Lastly, there is a final challenge so you can check if you have mastered the art of SQL.

It is also good to join the PostgreSQL community and take part in developing this open-source database system. Let it grow with you.

The Complete PostgreSQL Track

If you are serious about practicing PostgreSQL and want to have access to a huge package of interactive exercises, you should consider our A-Z in PostgreSQL track.

This track is built as a learning path. You get 8 interactive courses, starting out from the basics and then going on to more challenging ones. What makes the track great is how it emphasizes learning by doing. You will write queries in a real code editor, with real datasets. All exercises are based on realistic examples and demonstrate the kind of problem-solving approach you’ll use in writing queries.

With so many materials, you can plan your learning path for weeks or months. Thanks to this, you can keep your skills updated and constantly develop new ones.

Never Stop Practicing PostgreSQL

If you want to master SQL, it’s not enough to complete a course or two. Whatever goals you have, you need to keep making the effort to master those skills. Practice makes perfect. This saying also holds true with PostgreSQL. Without practice, your effort will be wasted.

It’s also important to practice your PostgreSQL skills in a realistic environment. You can profit from it in your current or future job. You never know when you will have the chance to use your knowledge. It’s best to stay up to date so nothing will surprise you.

In summary, if you want to practice Postgres online, courses and learning options are available. Absorb all the knowledge you can and always be ready ... for success!