SELECT all columns in SQL - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Selecting All Columns from a Table

📖 Scenario: You are working with a small bookstore database. The database has a table called books that stores information about each book available in the store.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to write a SQL query that selects all columns from the books table to see every detail about each book.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a table called books with columns id, title, author, and year_published.

Insert three specific book records into the books table.

Write a SQL query that selects all columns from the books table using SELECT *.

Complete the query with a semicolon ; to end the statement.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Selecting all columns is a common task when you want to see every detail stored in a database table, such as viewing all information about books in a bookstore.

💼 Career

Database administrators and developers often need to retrieve full records from tables to analyze data or build reports.

1

Create the books table

Write a SQL statement to create a table called books with these columns: id as an integer primary key, title as text, author as text, and year_published as an integer.

SQL

-- Write the CREATE TABLE statement for books
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Use CREATE TABLE books (column definitions); with the exact column names and types.

2

Insert three books into the books table

Write three SQL INSERT INTO books statements to add these books exactly:
1. id=1, title='The Hobbit', author='J.R.R. Tolkien', year_published=1937
2. id=2, title='1984', author='George Orwell', year_published=1949
3. id=3, title='To Kill a Mockingbird', author='Harper Lee', year_published=1960

SQL

CREATE TABLE books (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    title TEXT,
    author TEXT,
    year_published INTEGER
);
-- Insert the three books below
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Use three separate INSERT INTO books (columns) VALUES (values); statements with the exact data.

3

Write a query to select all columns from books

Write a SQL query that selects all columns from the books table using SELECT *.

SQL

CREATE TABLE books (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    title TEXT,
    author TEXT,
    year_published INTEGER
);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, author, year_published) VALUES (1, 'The Hobbit', 'J.R.R. Tolkien', 1937);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, author, year_published) VALUES (2, '1984', 'George Orwell', 1949);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, author, year_published) VALUES (3, 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'Harper Lee', 1960);
-- Write the SELECT query below
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Use SELECT * FROM books to get all columns.

4

Complete the query with a semicolon

Add a semicolon ; at the end of the SELECT * FROM books query to complete the SQL statement.

SQL

CREATE TABLE books (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
    title TEXT,
    author TEXT,
    year_published INTEGER
);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, author, year_published) VALUES (1, 'The Hobbit', 'J.R.R. Tolkien', 1937);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, author, year_published) VALUES (2, '1984', 'George Orwell', 1949);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, author, year_published) VALUES (3, 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'Harper Lee', 1960);
SELECT * FROM books
-- Add a semicolon to end the query
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Remember to end SQL statements with a semicolon ;.