CREATE TABLE syntax in SQL

Introduction

We use CREATE TABLE to make a new table in a database where we can store information in rows and columns.

When starting a new project and you need to organize data like users or products.

When you want to add a new category of data to your existing database.

When you need to create a temporary table to hold data for a specific task.

When designing a database to keep track of things like books in a library.

When setting up a database for a small business to store customer orders.

Syntax

SQL

CREATE TABLE table_name (
  column1 datatype [constraints],
  column2 datatype [constraints],
  ...
);

Each column needs a name and a datatype like INTEGER or TEXT.

Constraints like PRIMARY KEY or NOT NULL help keep data correct.

Examples

Creates a table named Students with three columns: ID, Name, and Age.

SQL

CREATE TABLE Students (
  ID INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  Name TEXT NOT NULL,
  Age INTEGER
);

Creates a Products table with an ID, name, and price.

SQL

CREATE TABLE Products (
  ProductID INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  ProductName TEXT,
  Price REAL
);

Creates an Orders table with order ID and date.

SQL

CREATE TABLE Orders (
  OrderID INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  OrderDate TEXT NOT NULL
);

Sample Program

This query creates a table called Employees with four columns to store employee details.

SQL

CREATE TABLE Employees (
  EmployeeID INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  FirstName TEXT NOT NULL,
  LastName TEXT NOT NULL,
  Email TEXT
);

Important Notes

Table names should be unique in the database.

Datatypes define what kind of data each column can hold.

Use PRIMARY KEY to uniquely identify each row.

Summary

CREATE TABLE makes a new table to store data.

You define columns with names and datatypes inside parentheses.

Constraints help keep your data organized and accurate.