Select: Retrieving Data Using The SQL Statement

1
Retrieving Data Using

the SQL SELECT Statement
Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to do

the following:
• List the capabilities of SQL SELECT statements
• Execute a basic SELECT statement
• Differentiate between SQL statements and
iSQL*Plus commands
1-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Capabilities of SQL SELECT Statements
Projection Selection
Table 1 Table 1
Join
Table 1 Table 2

Basic SELECT Statement
SELECT *|{[DISTINCT] column|expression [alias],...}

FROM table;
• SELECT identifies the columns to be displayed

• FROM identifies the table containing those columns

Selecting All Columns
SELECT *
FROM departments;

Selecting Specific Columns
SELECT department_id, location_id

FROM departments;

Writing SQL Statements
• SQL statements are not case-sensitive.

• SQL statements can be on one or more lines.
• Keywords cannot be abbreviated or split
across lines.
• Clauses are usually placed on separate lines.
• Indents are used to enhance readability.
• In iSQL*Plus, SQL statements can optionally be
terminated by a semicolon (;). Semicolons are
required if you execute multiple SQL statements.
• In SQL*plus, you are required to end each SQL
statement with a semicolon (;).

Column Heading Defaults
• iSQL*Plus:
– Default heading alignment: Center
– Default heading display: Uppercase
• SQL*Plus:
– Character and Date column headings are left-
aligned
– Number column headings are right-aligned
– Default heading display: Uppercase

Arithmetic Expressions
Create expressions with number and date data by

using arithmetic operators.
Operator Description
+ Add
- Subtract
* Multiply
/ Divide

Using Arithmetic Operators
SELECT last_name, salary, salary + 300

FROM employees;

Operator Precedence
SELECT last_name, salary, 12*salary+100

FROM employees; 1
SELECT last_name, salary, 12*(salary+100)

FROM employees;
2

Defining a Null Value
• A null is a value that is unavailable, unassigned,

unknown, or inapplicable.
• A null is not the same as a zero or a blank space.
SELECT last_name, job_id, salary, commission_pct
FROM employees;

Null Values
in Arithmetic Expressions
Arithmetic expressions containing a null value

evaluate to null.
SELECT last_name, 12*salary*commission_pct
FROM employees;

Defining a Column Alias
A column alias:
• Renames a column heading
• Is useful with calculations
• Immediately follows the column name (There can
also be the optional AS keyword between the
column name and alias.)
• Requires double quotation marks if it contains
spaces or special characters or if it is case-
sensitive

Using Column Aliases
SELECT last_name AS name, commission_pct comm

FROM employees;
SELECT last_name "Name" , salary*12 "Annual Salary"

FROM employees;

Concatenation Operator
A concatenation operator:
• Links columns or character strings to other
columns
• Is represented by two vertical bars (||)
• Creates a resultant column that is a character
expression
SELECT last_name||job_id AS "Employees"
FROM employees;

Literal Character Strings
• A literal is a character, a number, or a date that is

included in the SELECT statement.
• Date and character literal values must be enclosed
by single quotation marks.
• Each character string is output once for each
row returned.

Using Literal Character Strings
SELECT last_name ||' is a '||job_id

AS "Employee Details"
FROM employees;

Alternative Quote (q) Operator
• Specify your own quotation mark delimiter

• Choose any delimiter
• Increase readability and usability
SELECT department_name ||
q'[, it's assigned Manager Id: ]'
|| manager_id
AS "Department and Manager"
FROM departments;

Duplicate Rows
The default display of queries is all rows, including

duplicate rows.
SELECT department_id
FROM employees;
1
…
SELECT DISTINCT department_id
FROM employees;
2

SQL and iSQL*Plus Interaction
SQL statements
Oracle
server
Internet
browser
iSQL*Plus Query results

commands
Formatted report
Client

SQL Statements Versus
iSQL*Plus Commands
SQL iSQL*Plus
• A language • An environment
• ANSI standard • Oracle-proprietary
• Keyword cannot be • Keywords can be
abbreviated abbreviated
• Statements manipulate • Commands do not allow
data and table definitions manipulation of values in
in the database the database
• Runs on a browser
• Centrally loaded; does not
have to be implemented
on each machine
SQL iSQL*Plus
statements commands

Overview of iSQL*Plus
After you log in to iSQL*Plus, you can:

• Describe table structures
• Enter, execute, and edit SQL statements
• Save or append SQL statements to files
• Execute or edit statements that are stored in saved
script files

Logging In to iSQL*Plus
From your browser environment:

iSQL*Plus Environment
8 9
1
6
2 3 4 5

Displaying Table Structure
Use the iSQL*Plus DESCRIBE command to display the

structure of a table:
DESC[RIBE] tablename

Displaying Table Structure
DESCRIBE employees

Interacting with Script Files
SELECT last_name, hire_date, salary

FROM employees;
1



D:\TEMP\emp_data.sql
2
3

iSQL*Plus History Page

iSQL*Plus History Page

Setting iSQL*Plus Preferences
2
3

Setting the Output Location Preference
2

Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned how to:

• Write a SELECT statement that:
– Returns all rows and columns from a table
– Returns specified columns from a table
– Uses column aliases to display more descriptive
column headings
• Use the iSQL*Plus environment to write, save, and
execute SQL statements and iSQL*Plus
commands
SELECT *|{[DISTINCT] column|expression [alias],...}
FROM table;

Practice 1: Overview
This practice covers the following topics:

• Selecting all data from different tables
• Describing the structure of tables
• Performing arithmetic calculations and specifying
column names
• Using iSQL*Plus

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1

Retrieving Data Using

Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

After completing this lesson, you should be able to do

1-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-3 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT *|{[DISTINCT] column|expression [alias],...}

• SELECT identifies the columns to be displayed

1-4 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-5 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT department_id, location_id

1-6 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

• SQL statements are not case-sensitive.

1-7 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-8 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Create expressions with number and date data by

1-9 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT last_name, salary, salary + 300

1-10 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT last_name, salary, 12*salary+100

SELECT last_name, salary, 12*(salary+100)

1-11 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

• A null is a value that is unavailable, unassigned,

1-12 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Arithmetic expressions containing a null value

1-13 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-14 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT last_name AS name, commission_pct comm

SELECT last_name "Name" , salary*12 "Annual Salary"

1-15 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-16 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

• A literal is a character, a number, or a date that is

1-17 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT last_name ||' is a '||job_id

1-18 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

• Specify your own quotation mark delimiter

1-19 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

The default display of queries is all rows, including

1-20 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

iSQL*Plus Query results

1-21 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-22 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

After you log in to iSQL*Plus, you can:

1-23 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

From your browser environment:

1-24 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-25 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Use the iSQL*Plus DESCRIBE command to display the

1-26 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-27 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT last_name, hire_date, salary

1-28 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-29 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-30 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-31 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-32 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-33 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-34 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

1-35 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.