FEARLESS SQL

Before I Tell You All About This Life-Changing Program, Let's Talk About Who This is Really For...

You are in the right place if you are an ambitious professional who is tired of spinning your wheels and ready to expand expand your career opportunities, make work easier, and spend less time leveling up your SQL knowledge.

Whether You're...

• A business analyst eager to pull rich reports from diverse data sources by tapping into SQL's robust query language
• A consultant looking to add more skills to your tool kit
• An IT professional looking to leverage SQL to enhance infrastructure reporting from tools such as SCCM or Solarwinds
• A software developer who wants to finally get a handle on SQL so that it no longer gets in the way of coding

You're in the right place and I'm going to tell you exactly how Fearless SQL will give you the tools, inspiration, and unparalled support on your journey to level up your SQL skills.

By the end of this program,

you will have…

• Discovered how to use various Join Types to combine data from different tables.

• Understand how to harness Subqueries to make your SQL more robust and flexible.

• Used SET operators and understand their unique abilities such as combining rows.

• Practiced using Common Table Expressions to help organize your code and to navigate hierarchical data.

• Utilized windows functions to super charge your SQL by performing calculations not otherwise possible.

• Expanded your knowledge of SQL's data summary features by grouping and pivoting data.

• Gained a valuable skill set to help you advance your career.

What’s Inside FearlessSQL 

Module 1

Introduction and Learning Lab Setup

Before we dig in, I want to make sure you have all the tools ready to learn SQL.  In this section we will go over the course set up, and then get your learning lab set up on your computer.

Keep in mind you can do the entire course online, including all the problems, so the learning lab is optional.

Module Highlights:

• Setup Learning lab - I’ll show you how to get a free copy of SQL server and get it setup on your computer.  We’ll use this in conjunction with our example database to do the challenge problems.

• Course Overview - Don’t worry if the learning lab isn't your thing.  I got you covered, as I’ll show you how you can do all the problem online within the course.

Module 2

Set Operators

In this module you will learn about set operators and their unique superpower to combine and compare rows from multiple query results.

We will look at the three main operators to get you comfortable using them through practical examples.

Module Highlights:

• Learn about Union, Intersect, and Except Operators.   Set operators are there to help you compare one result to another. Use them to either combine results together, find those in common, or exclude one set of rows from the result.

• Use online challenges and quizzes to reinforce set operator concepts.

Module 3

Joins

Here is why it pays to learn from someone with experience.  I know exactly what trips up most students in learning joins.  In this module we’re going to crush the four main join types.

We’ll build your confidence by starting with some basic join concepts, such as the inner join, and then work ourselves up to outer joins.  Once we’re comfortable with the basic four join types, we’ll extend their capabilities by exploring non-equi joins.

Module Highlights:

• Learn the difference between Inner and Outer Joins.

• Review and do practical exercise within 8 modules covering all join types and scenarios.

• Use joins to find duplicate data.

• Learn to calculate running totals using non-equi joins.

Module 4

Subqueries

Now we’re going to get serious and demystify subqueries.   I know, for many people learning subqueries is one of the big hurdles you have a hard time getting over.  We’ll even learn how to use correlated subqueries!

As you work through this module, you’ll explore using subqueries throughout the SELECT statement, and by the end have added a valuable skill to your query abilities.

Module Highlights:

• Learn to avoid common pitfalls and discover that the number of rows a subquery returns matters.

• Separate yourself from your peers by understanding correlated subqueries.  By the end of the module, you will not only be able use and write correlated subqueries, but also be able to show others how they’re equivalent to inner joins.

• Level up your SQL skill by digging into existential qualifiers such as EXIST, IN, ANY, and ALL.  Personally, my favorite is EXISTS.  We’ll go through examples and problems so you’ll be comfortable using them all.

• See how derived tables can help you work through interesting SQL issues such as combining two summarized results together.

Module 5

Common Table Expressions

This module is all about breaking through and working with SQL that separates you from the rest.   Once you learn about common table expressions, you will wonder how you got along before without them!

Start coding SQL like a boss by using CTEs to improve your query’s readability and maintainability.

Module Highlights:

• Understand how Common Table Expressions help you separate and isolate complex portions of queries.  This helps reduce dependencies and repeated expressions.  This means your queries become less fragile and better able to withstand tweaking without introducing errors.

• Use Common Table Expressions to query hierarchies, such as org charts and bill of materials.  CTE’s bring a unique ability to the table, which is the ability to repeatably call themselves allowing your query to “dig” to the next level and continue to query hierarchal data.

Module 6

Window Functions

This module is super cool.  Here you’ll learn how to do those “impossible” queries that you thought required a custom program to compute.  Together we’ll look at what makes windows functions special:  how you can use them to calculate running totals, moving averages, and dig into some deeper analytical functions.

Though video lectures and demonstrations, online challenges, and quizzes I’ll help you understand how partitions work alongside window functions to return results.

Module Highlights:

• Gain a competitive edge amongst your peers.  Discover how Window Functions work alongside partitions to help you write queries others thought impossible.  Once you understand windows functions you unleash SQL's advanced capabilities!

• Learn to incorporate  a previous or next row’s values into your current row’s output.

• Learn about three classes of window functions to summarize and rank your results.

Module 7

Grouping and Pivoting Data

If you’re looking to advance your career into business intelligence, you will love this module, as we’ll look at new ways to shape your results using PIVOT.

Or do the opposite and take your SQL to the next level by being able to take tabulated data from Excel or other sources and reshape it into “normalized” data via UNPIVOT.

Module Highlights:

• Learn advanced grouping concepts by using the GROUPING SET, CUBE, and ROLLUP clauses to go beyond normal GROUP BY summarizations.

• Use PIVOT to reshape  your data.  Learn to cross tabulate your results.  Turn important values into columnar data and summarize to produce row by column summarizations.

• Learn to use UNPIVOT to create rows out of columnar data.  This is a great skill to have when looking for more ways to normalize messy data you get from outside sources.