Online Training

Fast track SQL course (3 days)

Live online training course - classroom version also available

Three days (09:30 to 16:30 UK time each day)

Out of all of our three-day fast-track courses, this is probably the one which offers the best alternative to the relevant two-day introduction and two-day advanced courses. This is for two reasons:

The progression from selecting data in SQL through to advanced topics like creating stored procedures is natural and fairly straightforward.
The fast-track course misses out some topics which are of less use than others (table-valued functions spring to mind).

However, for many people three days of training can be a day too much, so please do bear this in mind when considering booking one of our fast-track courses.

Our online fast-track courses are only available as tailored courses (you can see why here). They're not for the faint-hearted: the idea is to provide as quick a start to learning software as possible, for people who are IT-ability-rich but time-poor.

Course Contents

This fast-track course combines topics from the following other Wise Owl courses:

From our INTRODUCTION TO SQL course

Using SQL Server

SQL Server Management Studio
Controlling windows
Using Object Explorer

Creating databases - overview

Designing databases
Primary keys

Working with tables

Creating tables
Allowing nulls or not
Identity fields
Creating relationships

Simple Queries

Creating queries
Comments
Indentation and case

Setting criteria using WHERE

Wildcards (% and _)
Setting criteria for dates
Coping with nulls

Calculations

Calculated columns
Using aliases
String functions and concatenation

Calculations using dates

GetDate
Converting dates
Useful date functions

Basic joins

Inner joins
Table aliases
Left and right outer joins

Aggregation and grouping

SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX
Various ways to count
Grouping by fields
Using HAVING to filter results

Views

The view designer
Limitations of the designer
Scripting views

Subqueries

The concept of a subquery
Syntax of subqueries
Using subqueries in a query

Derived tables and CTEs

Using derived tables
Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
Multiple CTEs in a single query

From our ADVANCED SQL course

Stored procedures

Creating stored procedures
Executing stored procedures
System stored procedures

Variables

Declaring variables
SET versus SELECT
Tricks with variables
So-called global variables

Parameters and return values

Passing parameters
Default values / WHERE clauses
Output parameters
Using RETURN

Covered if time allows If time

Scalar functions

What they are
Writing user-defined functions
Worked examples
Pros and cons of scalar functions

Testing conditions

IF / ELSE statement
Using CASE where possible

Looping

Syntax of WHILE
Breaking out of a loop

Covered if time allows If time

Error-handling

Using TRY / CATCH
System error functions
Custom error messages

Deleting using SQL

Ways to drop tables
DELETE versus TRUNCATE

Updating data in SQL

The UPDATE statement
Updating using joins

Inserting data

Making tables (SELECT INTO)
Appending data (INSERT INTO)
Inserting individual rows

Creating tables

Creating tables in SQL
Primary keys and indexes
Adding relationships

Covered if time allows If time

Transactions

Beginning a transaction
Committing / rolling back

Temporary tables and table variables

Scope (local versus global)
Using temporary tables
Creating table variables
Pros and cons of each approach

Covered if time allows If time

Table-valued functions

In-line table-valued functions
Mult-statement table-valued functions

Covered if time allows If time

Dynamic SQL

Building up dynamic SQL
Executing dynamic SQL
Disadvantages of dynamic SQL

Covered if time allows If time

Pivots

Assembling data for pivoting
Using PIVOT
Dynamic column headers

Covered if time allows If time

Triggers

Insert, update and delete triggers
Using generated tables (eg INSERTED)
Using INSTEAD OF

Benefits of our online training

Here are some reasons to choose Wise Owl online courses:

Maximum of 5 people per class
Excellent colour courseware manual posted to you in advance
Pre-course set-up included in the days before the course
No need to install any software on your computer
All courses given by one of our 6 Wise Owl trainers

What other people have said

Many thanks to those listed below for kindly agreeing to let us use their names. All of the reviews are from the last 3 calendar years (although some may be for classroom courses):

"The trainer was without doubt very knowledgeable and able to answer all of my questions. Tandoori sea bass was excellent. I needed to discover what more could be done with VBA and I learned plenty. I have progressed on to using VBA in other office applications as well and have automated much of my monthly workload."

Geoff Doyle (Humankind Charity)

"The course was great, I learnt loads and it was exactly at the right level."

Julie Clements (Liverpool Mutual Homes)

"Best training I have ever received on any subject at any point! Trainer very engaging, encouraging and knowledgeable. Course recommended by all colleagues."

Danny Hopton (Derbyshire County Council)

"Very enthusiastic teacher. Content very relevant. Fast paced which stops you losing focus."

Harry Millward (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

"Really good teaching techniques, flexible with other queries/questions which was very helpful."

Chandni Huseinmiya (FIS (WorldPay))

Refresh the page to see a different set of reviews!

How our live online training courses work

We've published a full summary of what it's like to attend a Wise Owl course online - here are the main things you need to know.

What you'll need

You'll need three things for the course:

A computer (obviously) running Windows.
A good internet connection.
A microphone and (ideally) webcam.

In addition you'll find the course very difficult without an additional monitor (so that you can participate in the course on one screen, and use the software you're learning on the other).

What will happen when you book a place

Within a few hours of your booking a place on one of our online courses, we'll be in touch to get you set up correctly. This usually takes about half an hour, and can be done at any mutually convenient date/time.

A few days before your course begins you'll receive a parcel in the post (free for UK bookings) containing:

A full colour courseware manual;
An exercise booklet to go with the course; and
A USB stick containing the files for the course, should you need a back-up.

Your parcel will even include a Wise Owl Sheaffer biro (they're good; trust us) and pad.

What you won't need

You won't need to install any software at all on your computer. This is because:

you'll use Windows Remote Desktop to connect to our computers, and these will have all of the necessary files and software installed; and
we use Teams for our online training, which you can run through most modern browsers.

On and after the course

On the day of the course itself you will be able to join the course up to half an hour before it begins. This will give you time to:

familiarise yourself with the set-up;
meet your trainer; and
get to know the other delegates!

After the course finishes you'll receive an electronic certificate proving your attendance (we will gladly send a paper copy on request also).

You can see full details of exactly how our online courses work here.