What is SQL - Hands-On Activity

Introduction to SQL Basics

📖 Scenario: You are working as a data assistant for a small bookstore. The store keeps track of books and their prices in a simple database table. You want to learn how to use SQL to manage this data.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to create a table, add data, and write a simple query to retrieve information using SQL.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a table named books with columns id, title, and price

Insert three specific book records into the books table

Write a query to select all columns from the books table

Write a query to select only the title and price of books priced above 20

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

SQL is used to manage data in many businesses, like bookstores, to keep track of inventory and sales.

💼 Career

Knowing SQL helps you work with databases, a key skill for data analysts, developers, and many IT roles.

1

Create the books table

Write a SQL statement to create a table called books with three columns: id as an integer primary key, title as text, and price as a decimal number.

SQL

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

Need a hint?

Use CREATE TABLE books (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, title TEXT, price DECIMAL(10,2)); to create the table.

2

Insert book records

Write three SQL INSERT INTO books statements to add these books exactly: (1, 'The Great Gatsby', 10.99), (2, 'War and Peace', 25.50), and (3, '1984', 15.00).

SQL

CREATE TABLE books (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  title TEXT,
  price DECIMAL(10,2)
);
-- Insert the three book records below
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Use INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (...); for each book.

3

Select all books

Write a SQL query to select all columns from the books table using SELECT * FROM books;.

SQL

CREATE TABLE books (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  title TEXT,
  price DECIMAL(10,2)
);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (1, 'The Great Gatsby', 10.99);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (2, 'War and Peace', 25.50);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (3, '1984', 15.00);
-- Write a SELECT query to get all columns from books
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Use SELECT * FROM books; to get all data.

4

Select books priced above 20

Write a SQL query to select only the title and price columns from books where the price is greater than 20.

SQL

CREATE TABLE books (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  title TEXT,
  price DECIMAL(10,2)
);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (1, 'The Great Gatsby', 10.99);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (2, 'War and Peace', 25.50);
INSERT INTO books (id, title, price) VALUES (3, '1984', 15.00);
SELECT * FROM books;
-- Write a SELECT query to get title and price where price > 20
-- Your code here

Need a hint?

Use SELECT title, price FROM books WHERE price > 20; to filter expensive books.