If you're learning SQL, what's your background?

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by jo74, Jun 22, 2010.

  1. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    I'm curious as to the background of those who are learning SQL?

    Do you already have a degree?

    Or did you work in IT support, Network/Server administration?

    Or had already learnt programming?

    Or did you just learn it without any of the above?
     
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  2. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    I learned SQL at uni when doing database programming alongside oracle.
     
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  3. BosonMichael
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    I learned Oracle's implementation of SQL back in 2002 while writing practice exams for the OCA/OCP certification tracks (disclaimer: I have no real-world Oracle admin experience). I had administered SQL Server 7 and 2000 for a few years when I was an admin, so I decided to pursue the MCDBA in 2004. However, I did not upgrade my MCDBA to the MCITP on SQL 2005 or 2008(despite administering SQL 2005 servers, again as an admin).

    Yes, I have a degree, though it is in Chemistry.

    I haven't done any real programming since BASIC in the late 80s.
     
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  4. swatto

    swatto Byte Poster

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    Im looking at getting into SQL at the moment - Ive decided I do not want to go into support doing break fix but actually look after SQL databases. I have some experience with Access and the company I work for used an Access database that I maintained and developed over the 2 years I was there before moving into break fix support.

    I think it is now time for me to pursue some kind of SQL certification. Will see how it goes though :)

    Don't have a degree - only got A levels in software development.
     
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  5. Josiahb

    Josiahb Gigabyte Poster

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    I learnt SQL by accident (as with most things) we have several on site DBs and no DBA so they fall within my remit because they run on a computer and I should therefore know everything about them....

    I have no formal IT qualifications except the CompTIA A+ and Network+.

    I know little bits of a whole raft of different programming languages (VB.Net, Basic, Java, PHP, ASP.Net).

    I work full-time in IT support.
     
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  6. Josiahb

    Josiahb Gigabyte Poster

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    Access is the devil and should never be used for anything in a production environment, I'm looking forward to the day the last Access DB hanging around here can be transferred to CD taken outside and burnt.
     
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  7. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    then delphi must be the devils arse :D
     
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  8. swatto

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    hehe :) yes I know what you mean - had many issues with stability when we used it - data used to go missing etc. Unfortunately that is all that we had available to us at the time, it was eventually shelved though when I got promoted and moved to head office.
     
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  9. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    Ok...

    Yes

    I work in IT Support (I'm an IT Manager).

    My degree was in Computing, specialising in Software Engineering. I already have my C&G's in Programming and my NVQ 2 in Software Creation.

    However, what I'm learning has little relevance to what I learnt in programming. This is mainly due to the work that I do with SQL, I install it and then just maintain the SQL server (MS SQL Server) and not the database.

    -Ken
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2010
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  10. volatile

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    Yes.

    I, too, learned it in a classroom setting with Oracle as the DBMS. I also learned a lot on the job as a software developer. Was there a specific reason for this polling?
     
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  11. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    See the first line of my original post :D

    I suppose I'm most interested in how others learnt SQL, whether it was in 'isolation' or as part of a degree/diploma.

    Can it be learnt in 'isolation'?

    I've currently got my eye on an OU course in relational databases featuring a chunk of SQL.
     
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  12. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    SQL was part of my degree and it was boring :sleeping

    If you want to learn it by itself, you could try the MySQL CMA, it's an entry level cert. The down side is that it doesn't carry any Uni credit's (to my knowledge) if you want to carry on to do a degree/diploma/cert with them, but on the plus side it would be cheaper.

    -ken
     
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  13. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    Now, I'm a bit confused! so there's SQL and MySQL?
     
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  14. greenbrucelee
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    And PL/SQL :D

    EDIT: question for you Jo you seem to ask a lot question regarding lots of different areas of IT, have you not decided which area you want to work in? or are you one of those people trying to see where the money is and that will be where you want to go?

    You really need to find what you like and stick to it. The A+ and N+ are no use to a DBA.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2010
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  15. SimonD
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    SimonD Terabyte Poster

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    Pretty much what I said in his other thread.

    It's no use dipping in and out of different technologies until you have a solid grounding and know what you want to do, so far all of your questions have been based on pretty much deep knowledge tech (ie not something you start out in IT with).
     
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  16. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    No, I'm not one of them!:ohmy

    I'm sticking to the IT support 'track', I've got three comptia certs, I've just started voluntary work, and I'm currently swotting up for the MCDST.

    I'm just a bit curious about other aspects of IT.

    I've also got a lot of time to fill, which of course I should be filling with more studying.:oops:
     
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  17. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    Well SQL stands for Structured Query Language, however it is not owned by a company, hence why there is:

    Microsoft SQL, MySQL, Oracle, etc, etc, etc...

    Then you have the extensions to standard SQL:

    SQL/PSM, PSQL, SQL PL, T-SQL (this one is used in MS SQL) and PL/pgSQL.

    I'm not a DB expert, but for more information see here. If you want to do an intro to SQL, see here.

    -Ken
     
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  18. greenbrucelee
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    Its best just to stick to what you want to do. Granted some people may get a bit put of that their first job may be on the end of the phone telling idiots that they haven't switched their computers on when the say there's nothing on screen but at some pont if you keep going you will get better opportunities and experience if you keep going.

    For instance as said by the people in the thread Simon posted on. CIW has been around for a while but no one seem interested in it and if you wanted to be in web development you need to invent a time machine and go back to the mid 90s before the .com bubble burst to get anywhere in that field.

    Database administration is whole other ball game and it can get a bit mind boggling when you have to remember what 1st 2nd and 3rd normal form is, what a foreign key is what a form and a table are etc etc.

    Doing databases in sql is a bit like programming you need to pretty analytical to do it well.
     
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  19. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    A large part of the reason why SQL has piqued my interest is that I've pencilled in an Open University course module as part of my degree, in Relational Databases, of which SQL is a part. So I've been pondering doing a bit of 'swotting up' on SQL for this.

    My other thread on CIW was after a bit of idle web surfing and seeing the words server and internetworking.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2010
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  20. greenbrucelee
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    I actually considered maybe being a DBA but one thing held me back. I am not the type of person who could sit a desk all day and type things like SELECT "mouse" FROM "cheese" where mouse would be a column name and cheese would be the table name this would allow you to do stuff in a column called cheese in a table called mouse. That would do my head in.
     
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