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What does the SELECT command do in SQL?

SQLJunior~1 min read
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The SELECT command in SQL is used to retrieve data from one or several tables. It lets you pick specific fields, filter records, sort, and combine data.

Syntax:

sql
SELECT Field1, Field2, ... FROM Table_Name WHERE Condition ORDER BY Field LIMIT N;

Example:

sql
SELECT Name, Age FROM Employees WHERE DepartmentID = 101 ORDER BY Age DESC;

What this query does

  1. SELECT Name, Age, selects only these columns.
  2. FROM Employees, from the Employees table.
  3. WHERE DepartmentID = 101, only employees from department 101.
  4. ORDER BY Age DESC, sorts by age, descending.

Notes:

  • Every field can be selected at once: SELECT * FROM Employees;
  • Aggregate functions can be used: COUNT(), SUM(), AVG()
  • Tables can be combined via JOIN

Put simply, SELECT is the tool for getting the information you need out of a database, based on given conditions.

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