Introduction to Relational Databases

Lesson 1 • Keys and Identifiers

Covers primary, candidate, and surrogate keys as row identifiers. Connects key concepts to data integrity enforcement.

Lesson 2 • Tables, Rows, and Columns

Translates relational theory into physical table structures. Students map abstract model concepts to concrete table components.

Lesson 3 • What Is a Database?

Defines databases and contrasts them with flat files and spreadsheets. Grounds the chapter by establishing why structured data storage matters.

Lesson 4 • Relationships Between Tables

Explains one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many relationships. Prepares students for foreign key implementation in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Schema Documentation and Conventions

Establishes naming conventions, data dictionaries, and schema documentation practices. Ensures schemas are maintainable and understandable by teams.

Lesson 2 • Entity-Relationship Diagrams

Introduces ER diagram notation to visualize entities, attributes, and relationships. Students draw diagrams that serve as blueprints for physical schemas.

Lesson 3 • Requirements Gathering for Data Models

Teaches how to extract data requirements from business scenarios. Links stakeholder needs directly to schema design decisions.

Lesson 4 • Normalization: Third Normal Form and Beyond

Extends normalization to 3NF and BCNF to remove transitive dependencies. Students evaluate trade-offs between normalization and query performance.

Lesson 1 • Sorting and Limiting Results

Applies ORDER BY and LIMIT/FETCH clauses to control result sets. Teaches result ordering as a prerequisite for pagination and reporting.

Lesson 2 • Selecting and Filtering Rows

Teaches SELECT, FROM, and WHERE clauses to retrieve targeted data. Forms the core retrieval pattern used in every subsequent query topic.

Lesson 3 • Column Expressions and Aliases

Introduces computed columns, string concatenation, and column aliases. Enables students to shape output without altering stored data.

Lesson 4 • Introduction to SQL Syntax

Covers SQL statement structure, keywords, and execution order. Establishes syntax rules that govern all queries written in this course.

Lesson 1 • Set Operations: UNION, INTERSECT, EXCEPT

Applies set operators to combine or compare result sets from multiple queries. Completes the multi-table query toolkit for reporting tasks.

Lesson 2 • Self-Joins and Cross Joins

Covers joining a table to itself and generating all row combinations. Addresses hierarchical data and combinatorial query scenarios.

Lesson 3 • Subqueries and Derived Tables

Introduces subqueries in WHERE, FROM, and SELECT clauses. Extends query capability beyond what single-level joins can express.

Lesson 4 • Understanding Join Logic

Explains how joins match rows across tables using key columns. Builds conceptual clarity before students write any join syntax.

Lesson 1 • Creating Tables and Constraints

Covers CREATE TABLE syntax with inline and table-level constraints. Translates normalized schema designs into executable DDL scripts.

Lesson 2 • Indexes: Creation and Strategy

Introduces index types and their impact on query performance and write speed. Students create indexes aligned with common query patterns.

Lesson 3 • Views: Virtual Tables

Defines views as stored queries and covers creation, use, and limitations. Enables data abstraction and simplified access for end users.

Lesson 4 • Modifying Existing Tables

Teaches ALTER TABLE to add, modify, and drop columns and constraints. Addresses schema evolution without data loss in live environments.

Lesson 1 • Deleting Records Safely

Applies DELETE with WHERE conditions and discusses cascading effects. Reinforces safe deletion practices before introducing transactions.

Lesson 2 • Transactions and ACID Properties

Introduces COMMIT, ROLLBACK, and SAVEPOINT within transaction blocks. Students understand ACID guarantees that protect data during DML operations.

Lesson 3 • Referential Integrity and Constraints

Enforces foreign key constraints and constraint violation handling during DML. Ties data manipulation back to the relational model's integrity rules.

Lesson 4 • Updating Existing Records

Teaches UPDATE with WHERE clauses to modify targeted rows safely. Emphasizes the risk of unfiltered updates on production data.

Lesson 1 • Caching, Pagination, and Result Limiting

Covers result set pagination techniques and query result caching strategies. Prepares students to handle large datasets efficiently in applications.

Lesson 2 • Writing Efficient SQL Queries

Identifies common SQL anti-patterns that degrade performance. Students rewrite inefficient queries using optimizer-friendly patterns.

Lesson 3 • How the Query Optimizer Works

Explains cost-based optimization, statistics, and execution plan generation. Provides the conceptual model needed to interpret explain output.

Lesson 4 • Index Optimization Strategies

Applies selective indexing, covering indexes, and index maintenance practices. Connects index design decisions to measurable query speed improvements.

Lesson 1 • Auditing and Compliance Fundamentals

Covers audit logging, change tracking, and compliance-driven access controls. Prepares students to meet data governance requirements in regulated environments.

Lesson 2 • Privileges and the GRANT System

Teaches GRANT and REVOKE for object-level and system-level privileges. Students assign minimum necessary permissions to users and roles.

Lesson 3 • Row-Level and Column-Level Security

Applies fine-grained access controls to restrict data visibility at row and column levels. Addresses multi-tenant and sensitive data scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Authentication and User Management

Covers creating database users and configuring authentication methods. Establishes identity management as the first layer of database security.