10 useful resources for those who wants to know more about SQL

SQL   |   
Published June 30, 2017   |   

SQL, Structured Query Language, is the primary language responsible for management of data and data structures within a relational database management system. In other words, SQL is a language used to communicate with a database. It is important to mention it is one of the most sought-after skills among hiring employers. Learning SQL opens doors to career success and it will look great on your resume. Here are some useful resources you can use to make the learning process easier.

1. W3Schools – SQL Tutorial

W3Schools is one of the largest web developer sites that you can find on the internet. The website provides a multitude of tutorials you can use to develop your skills and SQL is one of them. On this website, you can learn how to use SQL in SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and other systems. What’s practical about this site is the quiz feature where you can test your progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and improve the learning experience.

2. SQLBolt

SQLBolt is, essentially, a series of interactive lessons and exercises that are created to help users learn SQL easily. The lessons and topics found on this site are comprehensive and they cover all the important details of using SQL. This resource is particularly useful for beginners with 19 easy but important lectures that you should know before you move on to more complex details. They also started adding intermediate lessons, at this point only 3 are available but we can expect more soon.

3. Vertabelo Academy

Vertabelo Academy provides interactive SQL courses right in your browser. Each course features extensive practice material that you can use to enhance your skills and build confidence. The website offers three types of courses: free, paid, beta (works in progress that you can use for free to practice). Vertabelo Academy teaches you about SQL queries, table creation, and data management.

Using this website is easy; you start each item with instructions and examples and when you’re ready, it’s time to move on to exercises. Here, you also have the opportunity to discuss the course with other users and trade experiences.

4. Codeacademy

Codeacademy is an online platform that provides various free coding courses in programming languages. The site is dedicated to providing an optimal learning experience and you can use it to learn how to manage data with SQL. Codeacademy’s LearnSQL is free and interactive. The platform covers the basics of database essentials including queries, tables, aggregate functions, developing advanced database queries, among other things.

Each lesson is divided into three panels containing a description of the exercise, an interactive SQL command line, and a visual representation of the database schema with the result of the query. Check your knowledge with a quiz and see how far you’ve come. To take the course, you have to register using your email address and Facebook or Google account.

5. Udemy

Udemy is a great online resource with a mission to “help anyone learn anything”. SQL courses on this site are paid, but frequent promotions bring prices down and you can find an ideal course regardless of your budget. What’s beneficial about courses at Udemy is that you can opt for the one that perfectly matches your current skills and SQL knowledge.

6. Khan Academy “Intro to SQL”

Khan Academy offers personalized learning dashboard, a lot of practice exercises, and micro-lectures in the form of YouTube videos. This allows you to study at your own pace and develop SQL skills gradually. Unlike many other resources, you can adapt this one to your needs and preferences.

The entire course contains 5 parts starting with basics and leading you all the way up to more advanced lessons. You don’t have to register in order to watch videos, but if you have some questions or want to take part in discussions, then you will have to sign in.

7. SQLZoo

SQLZoo is ideal for people who prefer extensive personal support and a more thorough approach to lessons. Of course, lessons are interactive and the site is free to use. Here, SQL course comes with live interpreters and interactive exercises for different types of databases. All tutorials come in step-by-step format and you also have the option to use live chat, test your knowledge with a quiz, and the content is available without registration.

8. Stanford University

Yes, THAT Stanford University provides an online self-paced course with video tutorials that you can use to learn basic SQL skills. To get started, all you have to do is to select the course and there are plenty of options including querying databases, SQL advanced features such as indexes and transactions, constraints and triggers, online analytical processing, recursion in SQL, and many others.

9. SQL Problems and Solutions

This unique platform acts as an interactive textbook which allows you to visualize tables and execute queries using a sample database. This tutorial explains the fundamental concepts and constructs of SQL. At the same time, it displays examples for different levels of expertise in order to help you learn better and move on to other lessons. Once you’ve learned all the lessons, put your skills to a test using a sister site SQL Exercises.

10. WebsiteSetup

WebsiteSetup is a free online resource for learning web development and WordPress. They have more than 90 up to date guides, tutorials, and comparisons, which will help you walk through the whole road of building a website as well as customizing and improving it. WebsiteSetup published recently an awesome SQL Cheat Sheet that will save any developer a ton of time because all the essential aspects (keywords, comments, operators etc) are all listed in one easy to read guide. You can check out the cheat sheet in the link above.

Bottom line

If you have ever wanted to learn SQL but didn’t know how then resources from this post will help you out. They cover the basics, move to more advanced lessons and courses, and allow you to test your skills using quizzes and sample databases. These sites only prove that you don’t need to spend a fortune to learn more about SQL, you can do it for free.