Standard Query Language


From Docunext Technology Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

What is SQL?

Most people view SQL as a simple way to get information in and out of a database, but it can actually do quite a lot besides that.

As far as I know, SQL is a standard language, meaning that the logic behind how it works is an open publication by ANSI and can be used by anyone royalty free.

Example

SELECT * FROM tablename;

LEFT JOIN Example

  SELECT DISTINCT pb_entry_amounts.entry_id,
    pb_entry_amounts.account_id,
    pb_entry_amounts.entry_amount_id,
    pb_entry_amounts.entry_amount,
    pb_entry_amounts.entry_type_id,
    pb_accounts.name,
    pb_accounts.account_type_id,
    pb_general_ledger.account_id as posted_account_id

  FROM (pb_accounts, pb_entry_amounts)

  LEFT JOIN pb_general_ledger
    ON pb_general_ledger.entry_amount_id=pb_entry_amounts.entry_amount_id

  WHERE pb_entry_amounts.entry_id LIKE ?
    AND pb_accounts.id = pb_entry_amounts.account_id
    AND
    (
      pb_general_ledger.account_id IS NULL
      OR
      pb_general_ledger.account_id = 0
    )

  ORDER BY
    pb_entry_amounts.entry_type_id DESC

( Taken from PBooks)

Best Practices use SQL

One of the first mistakes I made in developing web applications was not appreciating SQL as a method of manipulating and handling data. I only used it for I/O.

Nowadays when I develop web applications, I try to put a bunch of logic in my queries, rather than my application. I do so because SQL is quite mature, simple, and can be optimized in many ways.

I have learned a lot by using phpMyAdmin, such as adding "LIMIT 1" at the end of delete queries... just in case! Unfortunately, I don't think that it is standard SQL.

Related Pages

External Links

Personal tools