The Querynomicon

An Introduction to SQL for the Cautious and Weary

Setup

• Download the databases used in the examples
• Download DB Browser for SQLite

Lessons

1. Introduction: where we're going and why
2. Core Features: getting values from tables
3. Tools: Miscellaneous things that make life easier
4. Python: using databases from Python
5. Advanced Features: when you need 'em, you need 'em
6. R: using databases from R
7. PostgreSQL: client-server computing and permissions
8. Conclusion: where we've been and what comes next

Appendices

1. License
2. Code of Conduct
3. Contributing
4. Bibliography
5. Glossary

Acknowledgments {: #acknowledgments}

• Greg Wilson was the co-founder and first Executive Director of Software Carpentry and received ACM SIGSOFT's Influential Educator Award in 2020.
• Konstantinos Kitsios is a PhD student at University of Zurich, working on applications of machine learning to software engineering. Previously he worked as a software engineer at Tesla.
• Pao Corrales has a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences and works on improving severe weather forecasts in Argentina. She loves teaching science and programming using evidence-based techniques centered on the students and their context.

This tutorial would not have been possible without:

• Andi Albrecht's [sqlparse][sqlparse] module
• Dimitri Fontaine's The Art of PostgreSQL
• David Rozenshtein's The Essence of SQL (now sadly out of print)

We also thank the following people for spotting issues, making suggestions, or submitting changes:

• Yanina Bellini Saibene

• Phillip Cloud

• Zoe Daniels

• Conor Flynn

• Andy Goldberg

• Jay Graves

Sam Hames

Adam Hawkes

Robert Kern

Olivier Leroy

Kevin Marshall

Roy Pardee

Manos Pitsidianakis

Daniel Possenriede

Adam Rosien

Thomas Sandmann

Simon Willison

start where you are · use what you have · help who you can