Welcome to exploring a classic SQL interview challenge: "How many different ways can you write an SQL statement that fetches the second-highest salary?" I've been able to determine seven unique solutions, each making use of different SQL constructs, to tackle this problem. RANK() Function TOP 1 and MAX() Function OFFSET and FETCH Clauses TOP 1 … Continue reading Second Highest Salary →

Hello everyone. Step right up and take the SQL Quiz challenge! Click the above link to take the challenge; read below to review my notes and ramblings. First, I’ve written hundreds of advanced SQL quiz questions that you can use in your learning adventure. This collection is a great asset for identifying gaps in your … Continue reading Advanced SQL Quiz →

Hello, I'm not a huge fan of the MERGE statement, as I find the syntax a little clunky. Plus, there are some drawbacks to it that I mentioned in a previous post here. A quick internet search for "SQL Merge statement problems" will yield several articles about the issues with MERGE statements. However, one benefit … Continue reading MERGE Statement Example →

I have noticed that ChatGPT is quite adept at refining my technical writing and providing insights for creative composition (and really horrible at answering SQL quiz questions). Recently, I came across individuals sharing their ChatGPT generated texts that create religions based on various subjects, so I thought it would be interesting to ask ChatGPT to … Continue reading ChatGPT: SQL as a Religion →

In the context of databases, the terms attribute, field, and column are often used interchangeably, especially in relational databases. However, there are slight nuances in the way they're used within different contexts. Here, I create a blog post to quickly define the differences and nuances of these terms. If you are unfamiliar with ERD, Conceptual, … Continue reading Attributes, Fields, and Columns →

In the realm of database design, there are a total of twelve distinct keys to be taken into account. Primary, foreign, and unique keys are typically well-known among SQL developers, as they are implemented through SQL syntax and serve as constraints. However, when undertaking database design, it is important to consider additional key types that … Continue reading Understanding Different Key Types in SQL →

The ANY, ALL, and SOME operators in SQL Server are used to compare a value to a set of values. The SOME operator is a synonym for ANY and can be used interchangeably. These operators can be used in various ways, such as with subqueries, to filter and retrieve specific data from a table. It's … Continue reading ANY, ALL, and SOME equivalents →

Does ChatGPT Know SQL? The short answer is "Yes, but not entirely". While ChatGPT may not be proficient in all aspects of SQL (actually, many aspects of SQL), it can generate executable code and perform certain tasks. However, I found it unreliable when I asked about various database topics, such as normalization forms and implicit … Continue reading Does ChatGPT Know SQL? →

In Microsoft SQL Server, several different types of databases can be created and used for different purposes. Here is a brief overview of some of the most common types of databases in SQL Server and the scenarios in which they are typically used. Databases are categorized into two different types, User and System: User databases: … Continue reading What are the different SQL Server databases used for? →

Last updated 09/11/2023 If anyone wants a list of Database related certifications, I created a list. A couple of things first.... In my list below, I have tried to list the certification that is most relevant to a Database Developer, Data Engineer, or Database Administrator role. I've also included a few vendor-neutral certifications and a … Continue reading Database Certification List →