Chapter 3

Query Formulation with SQL

Outline
 Background
 Getting started
 Joining tables
 Summarizing tables
 Reasoning tools
 Advanced problems
 Data manipulation statements
What is SQL?
 Structured Query Language
 Language for database definition,
manipulation, and control
 International standard
 Standalone and embedded usage
 Intergalactic database speak
SQL Statements
Statement Chapter
CREATE TABLE 2
ALTER TABLE 2
SELECT 3, 9, 10
INSERT 3, 10
UPDATE 3, 10
DELETE 3, 9, 10
CREATE VIEW 10
CREATE TRIGGER 11
GRANT, REVOKE 14
CREATE ASSERTION 14
COMMIT, ROLLBACK 15
SELECT Statement Overview
SELECT <list of column expressions>
FROM <list of tables and join operations>
WHERE <list of logical expressions for rows>
GROUP BY <list of grouping columns>
HAVING <list of logical expressions for groups>
ORDER BY <list of sorting specifications>

 Expression: combination of columns, constants,

operators, and functions
University Database
 First SELECT Examples
Example 1
SELECT * FROM Faculty

Example 2 (Access)
SELECT *
FROM Faculty
WHERE FacSSN = '543210987'

Example 3
SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, FacSalary
FROM Faculty

Example 4
SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, FacSalary
FROM Faculty
WHERE FacSalary > 65000 AND FacRank = 'PROF'
 Using Expressions
Example 5 (Access)
SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, FacCity,
FacSalary*1.1 AS IncreasedSalary,
FacHireDate
FROM Faculty
WHERE year(FacHireDate) > 1991

Example 5 (Oracle)
SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, FacCity,
FacSalary*1.1 AS IncreasedSalary,
FacHireDate
FROM Faculty
WHERE to_number(to_char(FacHireDate, 'YYYY'))
> 1991
 Inexact Matching
• Match against a pattern: LIKE operator
• Use meta characters to specify patterns
– Wildcard (* or %)
– Any single character (? or _)

Example 6 (Access)
SELECT *
FROM Offering
WHERE CourseNo LIKE 'IS*'

Example 6 (Oracle)
SELECT *
FROM Offering
WHERE CourseNo LIKE 'IS%'
 Using Dates
• Dates are numbers
• Date constants and functions are not standard

Example 7 (Access)
SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, FacHireDate
FROM Faculty
WHERE FacHireDate BETWEEN #1/1/1994#
AND #12/31/1995#

Example 7 (Oracle)
SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, FacHireDate
FROM Faculty
WHERE FacHireDate BETWEEN '1-Jan-1994'
AND '31-Dec-1995'
 Other Single Table Examples
Example 8: Testing for null values
SELECT OfferNo, CourseNo
FROM Offering
WHERE FacSSN IS NULL AND OffTerm = 'SUMMER'
AND OffYear = 2003

Example 9: Mixing AND and OR

SELECT OfferNo, CourseNo, FacSSN
FROM Offering
WHERE (OffTerm = 'FALL' AND OffYear = 2002)
OR (OffTerm = 'WINTER' AND OffYear = 2003)
Join Operator
 Most databases have many tables
 Combine tables using the join operator
 Specify matching condition
– Can be any comparison but usually =
– PK = FK most common join condition
– Relationship diagram useful when combining
tables
Join Example

Faculty
FacSSN FacName
111-11-1111 joe Natural Join of Offering and
222-22-2222 sue Faculty
333-33-3333 sara FacSSN FacName OfferNo
111-11-1111 joe 1111

222-22-2222 sue 2222

Offering
OfferNo FacSSN 111-11-1111 joe 3333
1111 111-11-1111
2222 222-22-2222
3333 111-11-1111
 Cross Product Style
• List tables in the FROM clause
• List join conditions in the WHERE clause

Example 10 (Access)
SELECT OfferNo, CourseNo, FacFirstName,
FacLastName
FROM Offering, Faculty
WHERE OffTerm = 'FALL' AND OffYear = 2002
AND FacRank = 'ASST' AND CourseNo LIKE 'IS*'
AND Faculty.FacSSN = Offering.FacSSN
 Join Operator Style
• Use INNER JOIN and ON keywords
• FROM clause contains join operations

Example 11 (Access)
SELECT OfferNo, CourseNo, FacFirstName,
FacLastName
FROM Offering INNER JOIN Faculty
ON Faculty.FacSSN = Offering.FacSSN
WHERE OffTerm = 'FALL' AND OffYear = 2002
AND FacRank = 'ASST' AND CourseNo LIKE 'IS*'
Name Qualification
 Ambiguous column reference
– More than one table in the query contains a
column referenced in the query
– Ambiguity determined by the query not the
database
 Use column name alone if query is not
ambiguous
 Qualify with table name if query is
ambiguous
Summarizing Tables
 Row summaries important for decision-making tasks
 Row summary
– Result contains statistical (aggregate) functions
– Conditions involve statistical functions
 SQL keywords
– Aggregate functions in the output list
– GROUP BY: summary columns
– HAVING: summary conditions
 GROUP BY Examples
Example 12: Grouping on a single column
SELECT FacRank, AVG(FacSalary) AS AvgSalary
FROM Faculty
GROUP BY FacRank

Example 13: Row and group conditions

SELECT StdMajor, AVG(StdGPA) AS AvgGpa
FROM Student
WHERE StdClass IN ('JR', 'SR')
GROUP BY StdMajor
HAVING AVG(StdGPA) > 3.1
SQL Summarization Rules
 Columns in SELECT and GROUP BY
– SELECT: non aggregate and aggregate columns
– GROUP BY: list all non aggregate columns
 WHERE versus HAVING
– Row conditions in WHERE
– Group conditions in HAVING
 Summarization and Joins
• Powerful combination
• List join conditions in the WHERE clause

Example 14: List the number of students enrolled in each fall 2003
offering.
SELECT Offering.OfferNo,
COUNT(*) AS NumStudents
FROM Enrollment, Offering
WHERE Offering.OfferNo = Enrollment.OfferNo
AND OffYear = 2003
GROUP BY Offering.OfferNo
Conceptual Evaluation Process
FROM Tables:
Cross Product and 1
Join Operations

Restriction
on WHERE 2
Conditions

Compute
Sort on Aggregates Restriction
GROUP
GROUP BY and Reduce on HAVING
BY? Yes Columns Each Group Conditions
to 1 Row
No 3 5
4

ORDER
BY?

Yes Sort
Columns in 6
No ORDER BY

Project 7
Columns in
SELECT

Finish
Conceptual Evaluation Lessons
 Row operations before group operations
– FROM and WHERE before GROUP BY and
HAVING
– Check row operations first
 Grouping occurs only one time
 Use small sample tables
 Conceptual Evaluation Problem
• Important practice
•Use the university database tables in Chapter 3

Example 15: List the number of offerings taught in 2003 by faculty

rank and department. Exclude combinations of faculty rank and
department with less than two offerings taught.
SELECT FacRank, FacDept,
COUNT(*) AS NumOfferings
FROM Faculty, Offering
WHERE Offering.FacSSN = Faculty.FacSSN
AND OffYear = 2003
GROUP BY FacRank, FacDept
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1
 Query Formulation Process

Problem
Problem Database Database Language
Statemen
Statemen Representation Statement
tt
Critical Questions
 What tables?
– Columns in output
– Conditions to test (including join conditions)
 How to combine the tables?
– Usually join PK to FK
– More complex ways to combine
 Individual rows or groups of rows?
– Aggregate functions in output
– Conditions with aggregate functions
Efficiency Considerations
 Little concern for efficiency
 Intelligent SQL compilers
 Correct and non redundant solution
– No extra tables
– No unnecessary grouping
– Use HAVING for group conditions only
Advanced Problems
 Joining multiple tables
 Self joins
 Grouping after joining multiple tables
 Traditional set operators
Joining Three Tables
Example 16: List Leonard Vince’s teaching schedule in fall 2002.
For each course, list the offering number, course number, number of
units, days, location, and time.

SELECT OfferNo, Offering.CourseNo, OffDays,

CrsUnits, OffLocation, OffTime
FROM Faculty, Course, Offering
WHERE Faculty.FacSSN = Offering.FacSSN
AND Offering.CourseNo = Course.CourseNo
AND OffYear = 2002 AND OffTerm = 'FALL'
AND FacFirstName = 'Leonard'
AND FacLastName = 'Vince'
 Joining Four Tables
Example 17: List Bob Norbert’s course schedule in spring 2003. For each
course, list the offering number, course number, days, location, time, and faculty
name.

SELECT Offering.OfferNo, Offering.CourseNo,

OffDays, OffLocation, OffTime,
FacFirstName, FacLastName
FROM Faculty, Offering, Enrollment, Student
WHERE Offering.OfferNo = Enrollment.OfferNo
AND Student.StdSSN = Enrollment.StdSSN
AND Faculty.FacSSN = Offering.FacSSN
AND OffYear = 2003 AND OffTerm = 'SPRING'
AND StdFirstName = 'BOB'
AND StdLastName = 'NORBERT'
Self-Join
 Join a table to itself
 Usually involve a self-referencing
relationship
 Useful to find relationships among rows of
the same table
– Find subordinates within a preset number of
levels
– Find subordinates within any number of levels
requires embedded SQL
 Self-Join Example
Example 18: List faculty members who have a higher salary
than their supervisor. List the social security number, name,
and salary of the faculty and supervisor.

SELECT Subr.FacSSN, Subr.FacLastName,

Subr.FacSalary, Supr.FacSSN,
Supr.FacLastName, Supr.FacSalary
FROM Faculty Subr, Faculty Supr
WHERE Subr.FacSupervisor = Supr.FacSSN
AND Subr.FacSalary > Supr.FacSalary
 Multiple Joins Between Tables
Example 19: List the names of faculty members and the
course number for which the faculty member teaches the
same course number as his or her supervisor in 2003.

SELECT FacFirstName, FacLastName, O1.CourseNo

FROM Faculty, Offering O1, Offering O2
WHERE Faculty.FacSSN = O1.FacSSN
AND Faculty.FacSupervisor = O2.FacSSN
AND O1.OffYear = 2003 AND O2.OffYear = 2000
AND O1.CourseNo = O2.CourseNo
 Multiple Column Grouping
Example 20: List the course number, the offering
number, and the number of students enrolled. Only
include courses offered in spring 2003.

SELECT CourseNo, Enrollment.OfferNo,

Count(*) AS NumStudents
FROM Offering, Enrollment
WHERE Offering.OfferNo = Enrollment.OfferNo
AND OffYear = 2003 AND OffTerm = 'SPRING'
GROUP BY Enrollment.OfferNo, CourseNo
Traditional Set Operators

A UNION B

A INTERSECT B

A MINUS B
Union Compatibility
 Requirement for the traditional set
operators
 Strong requirement
– Same number of columns
– Each corresponding column is compatible
– Positional correspondence
 Apply to similar tables by removing
columns first
 SQL UNION Example
Example 21: Retrieve basic data about all university people

SELECT FacSSN AS SSN, FacFirstName AS FirstName,

FacLastName AS LastName, FacCity AS City,
FacState AS State
FROM Faculty
UNION
SELECT StdSSN AS SSN, StdFirstName AS FirstName,
StdLastName AS LastName, StdCity AS City,
StdState AS State
FROM Student
 Oracle INTERSECT Example
Example 22: Show teaching assistants, faculty who are students. Only
show the common columns in the result.

SELECT FacSSN AS SSN, FacFirstName AS

FirstName, FacLastName AS LastName,
FacCity AS City, FacState AS State
FROM Faculty
INTERSECT
SELECT StdSSN AS SSN, StdFirstName AS
FirstName, StdLastName AS LastName,
StdCity AS City, StdState AS State
FROM Student
Oracle MINUS Example
Example 23: Show faculty who are not students (pure faculty). Only
show the common columns in the result.

SELECT FacSSN AS SSN, FacFirstName AS

FirstName, FacLastName AS LastName,
FacCity AS City, FacState AS State
FROM Faculty
MINUS
SELECT StdSSN AS SSN, StdFirstName AS
FirstName, StdLastName AS LastName,
StdCity AS City, StdState AS State
FROM Student
Data Manipulation Statements
 INSERT: adds one or more rows
 UPDATE: modifies one or more rows
 DELETE: removes one or more rows
 Use SELECT statement to INSERT
multiple rows
 UPDATE and DELETE can use a
WHERE clause
 Not as widely used as SELECT statement
INSERT Example
Example 24: Insert a row into the Student table supplying
values for all columns.

INSERT INTO Student

(StdSSN, StdFirstName, StdLastName,
StdCity, StdState, StdZip, StdClass,
StdMajor, StdGPA)
VALUES
('999999999','JOE','STUDENT','SEATAC',
'WA','98042-1121','FR','IS', 0.0)
UPDATE Example
Example 25: Change the major and class of Homer
Wells.

UPDATE Student
SET StdMajor = 'ACCT',
StdClass = 'SO'
WHERE StdFirstName = 'HOMER'
AND StdLastName = 'WELLS'
DELETE Example
Example 26: Delete all IS majors who are seniors.

DELETE FROM Student

WHERE StdMajor = 'IS'
AND StdClass = 'SR'
Summary
 SQL is a broad language
 SELECT statement is complex
 Use problem solving guidelines
 Lots of practice to master query
formulation and SQL