SQL SELECT Statement Tutorial

1. Basic Syntax

The basic syntax of the SELECT statement is as follows:

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SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name;

In this syntax:

• column1, column2, ...: The specific columns you want to retrieve.
• table_name: The name of the table from which to retrieve the data.

2. Selecting All Columns

If you want to select all columns from a table, you can use the asterisk (*) wildcard:

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SELECT * FROM Customers;

This query retrieves all columns from the Customers table.

3. Selecting Specific Columns

You can specify which columns to retrieve by listing them:

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SELECT FirstName, LastName, City FROM Customers;

This query retrieves only the FirstName, LastName, and City columns from the Customers table.

4. Filtering Results with WHERE

The WHERE clause is used to filter records based on specified conditions:

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SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE Country = 'USA';

This query retrieves all columns for customers located in the USA.

5. Sorting Results with ORDER BY

You can sort the result set using the ORDER BY clause:

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SELECT * FROM Customers
ORDER BY LastName ASC;

This query retrieves all customers and sorts them by LastName in ascending order.

6. Limiting Results with LIMIT

The LIMIT clause allows you to specify the maximum number of records to return:

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SELECT * FROM Customers
LIMIT 10;

This query retrieves the first 10 records from the Customers table.

7. Conclusion

The SQL SELECT statement is a powerful tool for retrieving data from databases. By mastering its syntax and features, you can efficiently query and analyze your data.