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DESCRIPTION
Oracle SQLTRANSCRIPT
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Oracle 11g: SQL
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Module 1Overview of Database Concepts
Oracle 11g: SQL
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Oracle 11g: SQL 3
Objectives
Define database terms Identify the purpose of a database management
system (DBMS) Explain database design using entity-relationship
models and normalization Explain the purpose of a Structured Query
Language (SQL) Understand how this textbooks topics are
sequenced and how the two sample databases are used
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Oracle 11g: SQL 4
Database Terminology
Database logical structure to store data
Database management system (DBMS) software used to create and interact with the database
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Oracle 11g: SQL 5
Database Components
Character Field Record File
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Oracle 11g: SQL 6
Database Components -Character
Basic unit of data Can be a letter, number, or special symbol
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Oracle 11g: SQL 7
Database Components - Field
A group of related characters Represents an attribute or characteristic of
an entity
Corresponds to a column in the physical database
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Oracle 11g: SQL 8
Database Components - Record
A collection of fields for one specific entity Corresponds to a row in the physical
database
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Oracle 11g: SQL 9
Database Components - File
A group of records about the same type of entity
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Oracle 11g: SQL 10
Components Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 11
Database Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 12
Database Management System
Data storage: manage the physical structure of the database
Security: control user access and privileges Multiuser access: manage concurrent data access Backup: enable recovery options for database failures Data access language: provide a language that allows
database access Data integrity: enable constraints or checks on data Data dictionary: maintain information about database
structure
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Oracle 11g: SQL 13
Database Design
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Entity-Relationship Model (E-R Model) Normalization
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Oracle 11g: SQL 14
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
Systems investigation understanding the problem
Systems analysis understanding the solution
Systems design creating the logical and physical components
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Oracle 11g: SQL 15
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) (continued)
Systems implementation placing completed system into operation
Systems maintenance and review evaluating the implemented system
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Oracle 11g: SQL 16
Entity-Relationship Model (E-R Model)
Used to depict the relationship that exists among entities
Model symbols:
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Oracle 11g: SQL 17
Relationships
The following relationships can be included in an E-R Model: One-to-one
One-to-many
Many-to-many
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Oracle 11g: SQL 18
E-R Model Notation Examples
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Oracle 11g: SQL 19
One-to-one Relationship
Each occurrence of data in one entity is represented by only one occurrence of data in the other entity
Example: Each individual has just one Social Security Number (SSN) and each SSN is assigned to just one person
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Oracle 11g: SQL 20
One-to-many Relationship
Each occurrence of data in one entity can be represented by many occurrences of the data in the other entity
Example: A class has only one instructor, but each instructor can teach many classes
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Oracle 11g: SQL 21
Many-to-many Relationship
Data can have multiple occurrences in both entities
Example: A student can take many classes and each class is composed of many students
Can not be included in the physical database
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Oracle 11g: SQL 22
Example E-R Model
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Oracle 11g: SQL 23
Database Normalization
Determines required tables and columns for each table
Multi-step process Used to reduce or control data redundancy
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Oracle 11g: SQL 24
Database Normalization (continued)
Data redundancy - Refers to having the same data in different places within a database
Data anomalies - Refers to data inconsistencies
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Oracle 11g: SQL 25
Unnormalized Data
Contains repeating groups in the Author column in the BOOKS table
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Oracle 11g: SQL 26
First-Normal Form (1NF)
Primary key is identified Repeating groups are eliminated
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Oracle 11g: SQL 27
First-Normal Form (1NF) (continued)
ISBN and Author columns together create a composite primary key
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Oracle 11g: SQL 28
Composite Primary Key
More than one column is required to uniquely identify a row
Can lead to partial dependency - a column is only dependent on a portion of the primary key
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Oracle 11g: SQL 29
Second-Normal Form (2NF)
Partial dependency must be eliminated Break the composite primary key into
two parts, each part representing a separate table
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Oracle 11g: SQL 30
Second-Normal Form (2NF) (continued)
BOOKS table in 2NF
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Oracle 11g: SQL 31
Third-Normal Form (3NF)
Publisher contact name has been removed
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Oracle 11g: SQL 32
Summary of Normalization Steps
1NF: eliminate repeating groups, identify the primary key
2NF: table is in 1NF and partial dependencies are eliminated
3NF: table is in 2NF and transitive dependencies are eliminated
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Oracle 11g: SQL 33
Relating Tables within the Database
Once tables are normalized, make certain tables are linked
Tables are linked through a common field A common field is usually a primary key in
one table and a foreign key in the other table
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Oracle 11g: SQL 34
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Oracle 11g: SQL 35
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Data sublanguage Used to:
Create or modify tables
Add data to tables
Edit data in tables
Retrieve data from tables
ANSI and ISO standards
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Oracle 11g: SQL 36
Databases used in this Textbook-JustLee Books Database
Assumptions: No back orders or partial shipments
Only US addresses
Shipped orders are purged (deleted) at the end of the month
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Oracle 11g: SQL 37
Topic Sequence
The first half of the text will focus on creating a database
The second half of the text will focus on querying or retrieving data from a database
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Oracle 11g: SQL 38
Summary
A DBMS is used to create and maintain a database A database is composed of a group of interrelated
tables
A file is a group of related records; a file is also called a table in the physical database
A record is a group of related fields regarding one specific entity; a record is also called a row
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Oracle 11g: SQL 39
Summary (continued)
A record is considered unnormalized if it contains repeating groups
A record is in first-normal form (1NF) if no repeating groups exist and it has a primary key
Second-normal form (2NF) is achieved if the record is in 1NF and has no partial dependencies
After a record is in 2NF and all transitive dependencies have been removed, then it is in third-normal form (3NF), which is generally sufficient for most databases
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Oracle 11g: SQL 40
Summary (continued)
A primary key is used to uniquely identify each record
A common field is used to join data contained in different tables
A foreign key is a common field that exists between two tables but is also a primary key in one of the tables
A Structured Query Language (SQL) is a data sublanguage that navigates the data stored within a databases tables
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Module 2Basic SQL SELECT Statements
Oracle 11g: SQL
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42 Oracle 11g: SQL
Objectives
Distinguish between an RDBMS and an ORDBMS
Identify keywords, mandatory clauses, and optional clauses in a SELECT statement
Select and view all columns of a table Select and view one column of a table Display multiple columns of a table
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43 Oracle 11g: SQL
Objectives (continued)
Use a column alias to clarify the contents of a particular column
Perform basic arithmetic operations in the SELECT clause
Remove duplicate lists using either the DISTINCT or UNIQUE keyword
Use concatenation to combine fields, literals, and other data
Insert a line break
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44 Oracle 11g: SQL
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)
An RDBMS is the software program used to create the database and it allows you to enter, manipulate, and retrieve data
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45 Oracle 11g: SQL
Object Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS) Same as an RDBMS except it can be used
to reference objects such as maps and object fields
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46 Oracle 11g: SQL
Create the JustLee Database
Use the provided script to create the database so you can follow the module examples
Verify table contents using the DESCRIBE command
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47 Oracle 11g: SQL
SELECT Statement Syntax
SELECT statements are used to retrieve data from the database
Syntax gives the basic structure, or rules, for a command
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48 Oracle 11g: SQL
SELECT Statement Syntax (continued)
Optional clauses and keywords are shown in brackets
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49 Oracle 11g: SQL
SELECT Statement Syntax (continued)
SELECT and FROM clauses are required SELECT clause identifies column(s) FROM clause identifies table(s) Each clause begins with a keyword
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50 Oracle 11g: SQL
Selecting All Data in a Table
Substitute an asterisk for the column names in a SELECT clause
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51 Oracle 11g: SQL
Selecting One Column from a Table
Enter column name in SELECT clause
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52 Oracle 11g: SQL
Selecting Multiple Columns from a Table
Separate column names with a comma
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53 Oracle 11g: SQL
Operations Within the SELECT Statement
Column alias can be used for column headings
Perform arithmetic operations Suppress duplicates Concatenate data
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54 Oracle 11g: SQL
Using Column Aliases
List the alias after the column heading AS keyword is optional Enclose in double quotation marks:
If it contains blank space(s)
If it contains special symbol(s)
To retain case
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55 Oracle 11g: SQL
Column Alias Example
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56 Oracle 11g: SQL
Using Arithmetic Operations
Arithmetic operations: Executed left to right
Multiplication and division are solved first
Addition and subtraction are solved last
Override order with parentheses
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57 Oracle 11g: SQL
Example Arithmetic Operation with Column Alias
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58 Oracle 11g: SQL
Using DISTINCT and UNIQUE Enter DISTINCT or UNIQUE after SELECT keyword to
suppress duplicates
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59 Oracle 11g: SQL
Using Concatenation
You can combine data with a string literal Use the concatenation operator, || It allows the use of column aliases
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60 Oracle 11g: SQL
Concatenation Example
Note: incomplete results shown
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61 Oracle 11g: SQL
Inserting a Line Break
A line break code of CHR(10) can be used to format output on multiple lines
The output must be formatted as text output in SQL*Plus for the line break command to operate properly
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62 Oracle 11g: SQL
Summary
Oracle 11g is an ORDBMS A basic query in Oracle 11g SQL includes the SELECT
and FROM clauses, the only mandatory clauses in a SELECT statement
To view all columns in the table, specify an asterisk (*) or list all the column names individually in the SELECT clause
To display a specific column or set of columns, list the column names in the SELECT clause (in the order in which you want them to appear)
When listing column names in the SELECT clause, a comma must separate column names
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63 Oracle 11g: SQL
Summary (continued)
A column alias can be used to clarify the contents of a particular column; if the alias contains spaces or special symbols, or if you want to display the column with any lowercase letters, you must enclose the column alias in double quotation marks (" ")
Basic arithmetic operations can be performed in the SELECT clause
To remove duplicate listings, include either the DISTINCT or UNIQUE keyword
To specify which table contains the desired columns, you must list the name of the table after the keyword FROM
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64 Oracle 11g: SQL
Summary (continued)
Use vertical bars (||) to combine, or concatenate, fields, literals, and other data
A line break code of CHR(10) can be used to format output on multiple lines; the output must be formatted as text output in SQL*Plus for the line break command to operate properly
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Module 3Restricting Rows and Sorting
Data
Oracle 11g: SQL
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Oracle 11g: SQL 66
Objectives
Use a WHERE clause to restrict the rows returned by a query
Create a search condition using mathematical comparison operators
Use the BETWEENAND comparison operator to identify records within a range of values
Specify a list of values for a search condition using the IN comparison operator
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Oracle 11g: SQL 67
Objectives (continued)
Search for patterns using the LIKE comparison operator
Identify the purpose of the % and _ wildcard characters
Join multiple search conditions using the appropriate logical operator
Perform searches for NULL values Specify the order for the presentation of query
results using an ORDER BY clause
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Oracle 11g: SQL 68
WHERE Clause Syntax
A WHERE clause is used to retrieve rows based on a stated condition
Requires: Column name
Comparison operator
Value or column for comparison
Values are case sensitive
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Oracle 11g: SQL 69
WHERE Clause Example
List WHERE clause after FROM clause Enclose nonnumeric data in single quotes
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Oracle 11g: SQL 70
Comparison Operators
Indicate how the data should relate to the given search value
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Oracle 11g: SQL 71
Arithmetic Comparison Operators
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Oracle 11g: SQL 72
Other Comparison Operators
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Oracle 11g: SQL 73
BETWEENAND Operator
Finds values in a specified range
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Oracle 11g: SQL 74
IN Operator
Returns records that match a value in a specified list
List must be in parentheses Values are separated by commas
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Oracle 11g: SQL 75
IN Operator Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 76
LIKE Operator
Performs pattern searches Used with wildcard characters:
Underscore (_) for exactly one character in the indicated position
Percent sign (%) represents any number of characters
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Oracle 11g: SQL 77
LIKE Operator Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 78
Logical Operators
Used to combine conditions Evaluated in order of NOT, AND, OR:
NOT reverses meaning
AND both conditions must be TRUE
OR at least one condition must be TRUE
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Oracle 11g: SQL 79
AND Logical Operator Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 80
OR Logical Operator Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 81
Multiple Logical Operators
Resolved in order of NOT, AND, OR
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Oracle 11g: SQL 82
Multiple Logical Operators
Use parentheses to override the order of evaluation
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Oracle 11g: SQL 83
Resolving Multiple Types of Operators
1. Arithmetic operators
2. Comparison operators
3. Logical operators
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Oracle 11g: SQL 84
Treatment of NULL Values
Absence of data Requires use of IS NULL operator
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Oracle 11g: SQL 85
Treatment of NULL Values (continued)
A common error is using = NULL which does not raise an Oracle error but it also does not return any rows
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Oracle 11g: SQL 86
ORDER BY Clause Syntax
The ORDER BY clause presents data in sorted order
Ascending order is default Use DESC keyword to override column
default
255 columns maximum
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Oracle 11g: SQL 87
ORDER BY Clause Syntax Sort Sequence
In ascending order, values will be listed in the following sequence: Numeric values
Character values
NULL values
In descending order, sequence is reversed
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Oracle 11g: SQL 88
ORDER BY Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 89
ORDER BY Can Reference Column Position
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Oracle 11g: SQL 90
Summary
The WHERE clause can be included in a SELECT statement to restrict the rows returned by a query to only those meeting a specified condition
When searching a nonnumeric field, the search values must be enclosed in single quotation marks
Comparison operators are used to indicate how the record should relate to the search value
The BETWEEN...AND comparison operator is used to search for records that fall within a certain range of values
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Oracle 11g: SQL 91
Summary (continued)
The LIKE comparison operator is used with the percent and underscore symbols (% and_) to establish search patterns
Logical operators such as AND and OR can be used to combine several search conditions
When using the AND operator, all conditions must be TRUE for a record to be returned in the results However, with the OR operator, only one condition must be TRUE
A NULL value is the absence of data, not a field with a blank space entered
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Oracle 11g: SQL 92
Summary (continued)
Use the IS NULL comparison operator to match NULL values; the IS NOT NULL comparison operator finds records that do not contain NULL values in the indicated column
You can sort the results of queries by using an ORDER BY clause; when used, the ORDER BY clause should be listed last in the SELECT statement
By default, records are sorted in ascending order; entering DESC directly after the column name sorts the records in descending order
A column does not have to be listed in the SELECT clause to serve as a basis for sorting
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Module 4Joining Data from
Multiple Tables
Oracle 11g: SQL
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Oracle 11g: SQL 94
Objectives
Identify a Cartesian join Create an equality join using the WHERE clause Create an equality join using the JOIN keyword Create a non-equality join using the WHERE
clause
Create a non-equality join using the JOINON approach
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Oracle 11g: SQL 95
Objectives (continued)
Create a self-join using the WHERE clause Create a self-join using the JOIN keyword Distinguish an inner join from an outer join Create an outer join using the WHERE clause Create an outer join using the OUTER
keyword Use set operators to combine the results of
multiple queries
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Oracle 11g: SQL 96
Purpose of Joins
Joins are used to link tables and reconstruct data in a relational database
Joins can be created through: Conditions in a WHERE clause
Use of JOIN keywords in FROM clause
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Oracle 11g: SQL 97
Cartesian Joins
Created by omitting joining condition in the WHERE clause or through CROSS JOIN keywords in the FROM clause
Results in every possible row combination (m * n)
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Oracle 11g: SQL 98
Cartesian Join Example:Omitted Condition
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Oracle 11g: SQL 99
Cartesian Join Example:CROSS JOIN Keywords
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Oracle 11g: SQL 100
Equality Joins
Link rows through equivalent data that exists in both tables
Created by: Creating equivalency condition in the WHERE
clause
Using NATURAL JOIN, JOINUSING, or JOINON keywords in the FROM clause
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Oracle 11g: SQL 101
Equality Joins: WHERE Clause Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 102
Qualifying Column Names
Columns in both tables must be qualified
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Oracle 11g: SQL 103
WHERE Clause Supports Join and Other Conditions
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Oracle 11g: SQL 104
Joining More Than Two Tables
Joining 4 tables requires 3 join conditions
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Oracle 11g: SQL 105
Equality Joins: NATURAL JOIN
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Oracle 11g: SQL 106
No Qualifiers with a NATURAL JOIN
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Oracle 11g: SQL 107
Equality Joins: JOINUSING
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Oracle 11g: SQL 108
Equality Joins: JOINON
Required if column names are different
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Oracle 11g: SQL 109
JOIN Keyword Overview
Use JOINUSING when tables have one or more columns in common
Use JOINON when same named columns are not involved or a condition is needed to specify a relationship other than equivalency (next section)
Using the JOIN keyword frees the WHERE clause for exclusive use in restricting rows
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Oracle 11g: SQL 110
Non-Equality Joins
In WHERE clause, use any comparison operator other than the equal sign
In FROM clause, use JOINON keywords with a non-equivalent condition
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Oracle 11g: SQL 111
Non-Equality Joins: WHERE Clause Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 112
Non-Equality Joins: JOINON Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 113
Self-Joins
Used to link a table to itself Requires the use of table aliases Requires the use of a column qualifier
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Oracle 11g: SQL 114
Customer Table Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 115
Self-Joins: WHERE Clause Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 116
Self-Joins: JOINON Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 117
Outer Joins
Use outer joins to include rows that do not have a match in the other table
In WHERE clause, include outer join operator (+) immediately after the column name of the table with missing rows to add NULL rows
In FROM clause, use FULL, LEFT, or RIGHT with OUTER JOIN keywords
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Oracle 11g: SQL 118
Outer Joins: WHERE Clause Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 119
Outer Joins: OUTER JOIN Keyword Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 120
Outer Joins (continued)
If multiple join conditions are used, the outer join condition may be required in all the join conditions to retain non-matching rows
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Oracle 11g: SQL 121
Set Operators
Used to combine the results of two or more SELECT statements
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Oracle 11g: SQL 122
Set Operators: UNION Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 123
Set Operators: INTERSECT Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 124
Set Operators: MINUS Example
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Oracle 11g: SQL 125
Summary
Data stored in multiple tables regarding a single entity can be linked together through the use of joins
A Cartesian join between two tables returns every possible combination of rows from the tables; the resulting number of rows is always m * n
An equality join is created when the data joining the records from two different tables are an exact match
A non-equality join establishes a relationship based upon anything other than an equal condition
Self-joins are used when a table must be joined to itself to retrieve needed data
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Oracle 11g: SQL 126
Summary (continued)
Inner joins are categorized as being equality, non-equality, or self-joins
An outer join is created when records need to be included in the results without having corresponding records in the join tables The record is matched with a NULL record so it will be
included in the output
Set operators such as UNION, UNION ALL, INTERSECT, and MINUS can be used to combine the results of multiple queries
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Module 5Selected Single-Row Functions
Oracle 11g: SQL
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Oracle 11g: SQL 128
Objectives
Use the UPPER, LOWER, and INITCAP functions to change the case of field values and character strings
Extract a substring using the SUBSTR function Locate a substring within a character string with the INSTR
function
Nest functions inside other functions Determine the length of a character string using the
LENGTH function Use the LPAD and RPAD functions to pad a string to a
certain width
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Oracle 11g: SQL 129
Objectives (continued)
Use the LTRIM and RTRIM functions to remove specific characters strings
Substitute character string values with the REPLACE and TRANSLATE functions
Round and truncate numeric data using the ROUND and TRUNC functions
Return the remainder only of a division operation using the MOD function
Calculate the number of months between two dates using the MONTHS_BETWEEN function
Manipulate date data using the ADD_MONTHS, NEXT_DAY, TO_DATE, and ROUND functions
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Oracle 11g: SQL 130
Objectives (continued)
Extend pattern matching capabilities with regular expressions
Identify and correct problems associated with calculations involving NULL values using the NVL function
Display dates and numbers in a specific format with the TO_CHAR function
Perform condition processing similar to an IF statement with the DECODE function
Use the SOUNDEX function to identify character phonetics Use the DUAL table to test functions
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Oracle 11g: SQL 131
Terminology
Function predefined block of code that accepts arguments
Single-row function returns one row of results for each record processed
Multiple-row function returns one result per group of data processed (covered in the next module)
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Oracle 11g: SQL 132
Types of Functions
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Oracle 11g: SQL 133
Case Conversion Functions
Case conversion functions alter the case of data stored in a column or character string: Used in a SELECT clause they alter the
appearance of the data in the results
Used in a WHERE clause they alter the value for comparison
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Oracle 11g: SQL 134
LOWER Function
Used to convert characters to lowercase letters
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Oracle 11g: SQL 135
UPPER Function
Used to convert characters to uppercase letters It can be used in the same way as the LOWER
function: To affect the display of characters it is used in a
SELECT clause To modify the case of characters for a search condition
it is used in a WHERE clause
The syntax for the UPPER function is UPPER(c) Where c is the character string or field to be converted
into uppercase characters
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Oracle 11g: SQL 136
INITCAP Function
Used to convert characters to mixed case
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Oracle 11g: SQL 137
Character Manipulation Functions
Character manipulation functions manipulate data by extracting substrings, counting the number of characters, replacing strings, etc.
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Oracle 11g: SQL 138
SUBSTR Function
Used to return a substring, or portion of a string
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Oracle 11g: SQL 139
INSTR Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 140
Nesting Functions
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Oracle 11g: SQL 141
LENGTH Function
Used to determine the number of characters in a string
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Oracle 11g: SQL 142
LPAD and RPAD Functions
Used to pad, or fill in, a character string to a fixed width
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Oracle 11g: SQL 143
LTRIM and RTRIM Functions
Used to remove a specific string of characters
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Oracle 11g: SQL 144
REPLACE Function
Substitutes a string with another specified string
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Oracle 11g: SQL 145
TRANSLATE Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 146
CONCAT Function
Used to concatenate two character strings
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Oracle 11g: SQL 147
Number Functions
Allow for manipulation of numeric data: ROUND
TRUNC
MOD
ABS
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Oracle 11g: SQL 148
ROUND Function
Used to round numeric columns to a stated precision
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Oracle 11g: SQL 149
TRUNC Function
Used to truncate a numeric value to a specific position
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Oracle 11g: SQL 150
MOD Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 151
ABS Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 152
Date Functions
Used to perform date calculations or format date values Subtract date for number of days difference
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Oracle 11g: SQL 153
MONTHS_BETWEEN Function
Determines the number of months between two dates
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Oracle 11g: SQL 154
ADD_MONTHS Function
Adds a specified number of months to a date
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Oracle 11g: SQL 155
NEXT_DAY Function
Determines the next occurrence of a specified day of the week after a given date
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Oracle 11g: SQL 156
TO_DATE Function
Converts various date formats to the internal format (DD-MON-YY) used by Oracle 11g
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Oracle 11g: SQL 157
Format Model Elements - Dates
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Oracle 11g: SQL 158
ROUND Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 159
TRUNC Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 160
Regular Expressions
Regular expressions allow the description of complex patterns in textual data
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Oracle 11g: SQL 161
REGEXP_LIKE
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Oracle 11g: SQL 162
Other Functions
NVL NVL2 TO_CHAR DECODE SOUNDEX
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Oracle 11g: SQL 163
NVL Function
Substitutes a value for a NULL value
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Oracle 11g: SQL 164
NVL2 Function
Allows different actions based on whether a value is NULL
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Oracle 11g: SQL 165
TO_CHAR Function
Converts dates and numbers to a formatted character string
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Oracle 11g: SQL 166
Format Model Elements Time and Number
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Oracle 11g: SQL 167
DECODE Function
Determines action based upon values in a list
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Oracle 11g: SQL 168
SOUNDEX Function
References phonetic representation of words
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Oracle 11g: SQL 169
TO_NUMBER Function
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Oracle 11g: SQL 170
DUAL Table
Dummy table Consists of one column and one row Can be used for table reference in the FROM
clause
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Oracle 11g: SQL 171
Using DUAL
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Oracle 11g: SQL 172
Summary
Single-row functions return a result for each row or record processed
Character case conversion functions such as UPPER, LOWER, and INITCAP can be used to alter the case of character strings
Nesting one function within another allows multiple operations to be performed on data
Simple number functions such as ROUND and TRUNC can round or truncate a number on both the left and right side of a decimal
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Oracle 11g: SQL 173
Summary (continued)
The MOD function is used to return the remainder of a division operation
Date functions can be used to perform calculations with dates or to change the format of dates entered by a user
Regular expressions enable complex pattern matching operations
The NVL and NVL2 functions are used to address problems encountered with NULL values
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Oracle 11g: SQL 174
Summary (continued)
The TO_CHAR function lets a user present numeric data and dates in a specific format
The DECODE function allows an action to be taken to be determined by a specific value
The SOUNDEX function looks for records based on the phonetic representation of characters
The DUAL table can be helpful when testing functions