How to get started with SQL?

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Zubizap

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As the title suggests, I want to get started programming SQL. I have a BSc honours in Applied Maths so I don't have a lot of programming experience (mainly Matlab). I am unemployed at the moment, and would like to diversify my education into IT as it interests me. (I know I should have studied computer science/informatics but anyway, facepalm)
What would be the suggested route to learning SQL and maybe Java and other programming languages? I am interested in the Microsoft Certified IT professional qualification, but I am not sure if there is any point in studying this if I do not work with SQL for a living? I would love to do a computer science degree part-time one day but at the moment it is not an option as I want to start a career.
Many thanks to anyone who replies
 
Download MySQL or Postgress. Both are very good databases, and free. If you want something slightly more heavy, go for the Oracle XE, which free, but also limited to some extent. I would suggest that you look at what exactly you want to learn wrt SQL (PL-SQL, Forms, etc), and then choose the DB that fits.
 
Ok , so you want to learn SQL ..hmmm:D

Well there lots of resources , and databases out there , if you want to eventually go into IT programming and database design and management then you can do the following :

Search for Some programming jobs and DBA jobs to get an idea of what skills are in demand or were you should be focusing on, so far some of the popular adverts for programming jobs are

C#
Java
VB
Perl
etc

On the Database side

Oracle
SQL Server
My SQL
DB2
MS Access ( for the fun of it :p )

If you got a DSL line ( or make good use of your work 1 :D) then download the free products and start with that.
 
I found with programming that if you are motivated the best thing to do is to buy a text book and teaching yourself.. I went to college to learn programming and after a year still didn't even know what a database was. I then got hold of an old copy of Delphi 2 unleashed and for the next 3 months worked through that book. After which I applied for a job. At one of the job interviews they made me take an international competency test, and it revealed that I was in the top 40% of programmers in the world- that was just from just going through 1 book! With the internet being what it is today, you can get any question you want answered on a forum in a matter of minutes. so my advice is go onto amazon, look for some books that have a good customer rating- read the comments about it, and get yourself one or two of those... and then just start.. go through the examples and create your own program.

MySQL is probably better to learn than MSSQL especially if you are wanting to do web development- because its free and widely used, but once you know the basics its pretty easy to move between the two- I started out in mssql and went over to interbase and it literally took about a week to learn the differences in the syntax.

you can also look for a php and mysql combo book- that teach both subjects- I bought one that by the end of it you are creating websites with shopping carts and secure online transactions... very interesting.
 
For a free Microsoft alternative to SQL, you could look into SQL Server Express Edition. It has more than enough functionality to get you on the road to the Enterprise edition in a corporate environment. There are also many tutorials and help available in the MSDN.
 
SQL EXPRESS Server Edition and then look to the finacial markets for employment BSC MAth is very welcome
 
UNISA offer a very good SQL 6mth course. It will teach you the foundations.

The great thing about SQL is that most DB are standards compliant so learning on SQL Express and then having to go over to MySQL, PostgreSQL or Oracle is not such a steep learning curve.

Actually I found it better to know as many DBs as possible.

But anyway, learning SQL is good choice. Lots of opportunities and a skill that will never die.
 
Start with tutorials online. http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp is a good place to start.

If you can get through maths at uni, then you should be able to pick things up quite quickly, as many of my math-oriented friends have. Programming isn't really that difficult - anyone can learn syntax. It's the problem solving aspect of software development that is most challenging.

To perhaps motivate you a bit, the guy who earns the most in a company I worked for (60+ people) was a sql specialist, so there is money to be made.

Something you might consider if you are thinking long term is a msc conversion course. The computer science department at UCT does a two year part-time msc conversion course in Information Technology. All you need is a degree in anything but computer science. Check the link below:

http://www.cs.uct.ac.za/mit/
 
Thanks for the information everyone, I have picked up some books and starting to work on it! I really like the idea of the MSc IT course but I am not based in Cape Town at the moment. Maybe in the future I will be able to have a closer look at it...
 
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