How to Get Started with SQL

Just about every popular app and social media platform has an engine under the hood that powers the information and data we absorb. With hundreds of millions of data points to keep track of, there has to be a well-oiled machine to maintain that database. Every developer has their favorite program to use for database management, but most programs utilize the Structured Query Language, or SQL, for short.

[Related Article: Switching Between MySQL, PosgreSQL, and SQLite]

SQL is a great tool for those looking to manage relational databases, which rely on connecting different datatypes based on relationships like interactions such as a user comment on a video. Every interaction is stored and accessed using queries that select exactly what data needs to be displayed on a webpage or otherwise. But SQL is much more than just a database management tool — it has plenty of applications across a number of fields, is an essential tool for cleaning and exploring data, and combining datasets for greater insights.

For the traditional coder who prefers to work in a shell, scripting queries shouldn’t be a problem, but for those who prefer to work in a more visual environment, there are several options available. For client-server applications, MySQL is a good go-to, but for this tutorial, I’ll be using DB Browser for SQLite. While SQLite isn’t client-server, I’ll…