Even if you use the tools that generate SQL for you, such as reporting tools, there may still be cases where you need to bypass the automatic feature and write your own SQL statements. To help you achieve basic SQL knowledge, look to Learning SQL, an introductory guide to SQL, designed primarily for developers just cutting their teeth on the language. Among the topics covered: History of computer databases SQL Data Statements - those used to create, manipulate, and retrieve data stored in your database, such as a report including select, update, insert, and delete SQL Schema Statements - those used to create database objects, such as tables, indexes , and constraints How data sets can interact with the query subqueries Importance of Data conversion and manipulation via SQL's built-in functions How conditional logic can be used in Data Statements Best of all, Learning SQL talks to you in real-world manner, discussing various platform differences that you may face and offers a series of chapter exercises that walk you through the learning process. This means you will be able to apply what you learn into one of the different databases, the book covers MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle Database, but the features and syntax should apply as well (perhaps with some tweaking) to IBM DB2 Server, Adaptive Sybase, and PostgreSQL. Enter the power and flexibility of SQL to work.