SQL Syntax


Comprehensive SQL cheatsheet with examples. This cheatsheet covers a wide range of SQL operations, from basic CRUD operations to advanced concepts like window functions, CTEs, and pivoting. Note that some syntax (especially for stored procedures, triggers, and pivoting) may vary between different database management systems.

-- Comments start with two dashes

-- Data Definition Language (DDL)

-- Create a table
CREATE TABLE employees (
    employee_id INT PRIMARY KEY,
    first_name VARCHAR(50),
    last_name VARCHAR(50),
    hire_date DATE,
    salary DECIMAL(10, 2),
    department_id INT
);

-- Alter table
ALTER TABLE employees ADD COLUMN email VARCHAR(100);
ALTER TABLE employees DROP COLUMN email;
ALTER TABLE employees MODIFY COLUMN salary DECIMAL(12, 2);

-- Drop table
DROP TABLE employees;

-- Create index
CREATE INDEX idx_last_name ON employees(last_name);

-- Data Manipulation Language (DML)

-- Insert data
INSERT INTO employees (employee_id, first_name, last_name, hire_date, salary, department_id)
VALUES (1, 'John', 'Doe', '2023-01-15', 50000.00, 1);

-- Update data
UPDATE employees
SET salary = 55000.00
WHERE employee_id = 1;

-- Delete data
DELETE FROM employees
WHERE employee_id = 1;

-- Select data
SELECT * FROM employees;

SELECT first_name, last_name, salary
FROM employees
WHERE department_id = 1
ORDER BY salary DESC
LIMIT 10;

-- Joins
-- Inner Join
SELECT e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name
FROM employees e
INNER JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.department_id;

-- Left Join
SELECT e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name
FROM employees e
LEFT JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.department_id;

-- Right Join
SELECT e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name
FROM employees e
RIGHT JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.department_id;

-- Full Outer Join (not supported in all databases)
SELECT e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name
FROM employees e
FULL OUTER JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.department_id;

-- Cross Join
SELECT e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name
FROM employees e
CROSS JOIN departments d;

-- Self Join
SELECT e1.first_name AS employee, e2.first_name AS manager
FROM employees e1
LEFT JOIN employees e2 ON e1.manager_id = e2.employee_id;

-- Subqueries
SELECT first_name, last_name, salary
FROM employees
WHERE salary > (SELECT AVG(salary) FROM employees);

-- Exists
SELECT department_name
FROM departments d
WHERE EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM employees e WHERE e.department_id = d.department_id);

-- Aggregate functions
SELECT 
    department_id,
    COUNT(*) AS employee_count,
    AVG(salary) AS avg_salary,
    MAX(salary) AS max_salary,
    MIN(salary) AS min_salary,
    SUM(salary) AS total_salary
FROM employees
GROUP BY department_id
HAVING COUNT(*) > 5
ORDER BY avg_salary DESC;

-- Window functions
SELECT 
    first_name,
    last_name,
    salary,
    department_id,
    AVG(salary) OVER (PARTITION BY department_id) AS dept_avg_salary,
    RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY department_id ORDER BY salary DESC) AS salary_rank
FROM employees;

-- Common Table Expressions (CTE)
WITH high_salary_employees AS (
    SELECT *
    FROM employees
    WHERE salary > 100000
)
SELECT first_name, last_name, salary
FROM high_salary_employees
ORDER BY salary DESC;

-- UNION, INTERSECT, EXCEPT
SELECT first_name, last_name FROM employees
UNION
SELECT first_name, last_name FROM contractors;

SELECT department_id FROM departments
INTERSECT
SELECT DISTINCT department_id FROM employees;

SELECT department_id FROM departments
EXCEPT
SELECT DISTINCT department_id FROM employees;

-- Case statement
SELECT 
    first_name,
    last_name,
    salary,
    CASE
        WHEN salary < 50000 THEN 'Low'
        WHEN salary BETWEEN 50000 AND 100000 THEN 'Medium'
        ELSE 'High'
    END AS salary_category
FROM employees;

-- Date and time functions
SELECT 
    first_name,
    last_name,
    hire_date,
    EXTRACT(YEAR FROM hire_date) AS hire_year,
    DATE_ADD(hire_date, INTERVAL 1 YEAR) AS one_year_anniversary,
    DATEDIFF(CURRENT_DATE, hire_date) AS days_employed
FROM employees;

-- String functions
SELECT 
    first_name,
    last_name,
    UPPER(last_name) AS upper_last_name,
    LOWER(first_name) AS lower_first_name,
    CONCAT(first_name, ' ', last_name) AS full_name,
    LENGTH(last_name) AS last_name_length
FROM employees;

-- Transactions
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
    UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - 100 WHERE account_id = 1;
    UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance + 100 WHERE account_id = 2;
COMMIT;

-- Rollback
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
    UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - 100 WHERE account_id = 1;
    UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance + 100 WHERE account_id = 2;
ROLLBACK;

-- Views
CREATE VIEW high_salary_employees AS
SELECT *
FROM employees
WHERE salary > 100000;

-- Stored Procedure (syntax may vary by database)
CREATE PROCEDURE increase_salary(IN employee_id INT, IN increase_amount DECIMAL(10, 2))
BEGIN
    UPDATE employees
    SET salary = salary + increase_amount
    WHERE employee_id = employee_id;
END;

-- Triggers (syntax may vary by database)
CREATE TRIGGER before_employee_update
BEFORE UPDATE ON employees
FOR EACH ROW
BEGIN
    IF NEW.salary < OLD.salary THEN
        SIGNAL SQLSTATE '45000'
        SET MESSAGE_TEXT = 'Salary cannot be decreased';
    END IF;
END;

-- Indexes
CREATE INDEX idx_last_name ON employees(last_name);
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_email ON employees(email);

-- Grant and Revoke permissions
GRANT SELECT, INSERT ON employees TO 'user'@'localhost';
REVOKE INSERT ON employees FROM 'user'@'localhost';

-- Explain plan
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM employees WHERE last_name = 'Smith';

-- Pivot (not standard SQL, syntax varies by database)
-- Example for SQL Server
SELECT 
    department_name,
    [2021] AS sales_2021,
    [2022] AS sales_2022,
    [2023] AS sales_2023
FROM 
(
    SELECT 
        d.department_name,
        YEAR(s.sale_date) AS sale_year,
        s.sale_amount
    FROM 
        sales s
        JOIN departments d ON s.department_id = d.department_id
) AS SourceTable
PIVOT
(
    SUM(sale_amount)
    FOR sale_year IN ([2021], [2022], [2023])
) AS PivotTable;