We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
—Walt Disney

Learning path for this OPO

There are multiple paths through this course text. There is something to be said for tackling data modeling first and learning SQL afterwards. But the reverse is equally possible: start with SQL and then learn about data modeling.

We advise a blended approach for this OPO, in which SQL and data modeling alternate. This is the learning path you see below. Consider it the advised way to go through the different chapters of the course text. Every block in this learning path is a link to a page from the course text.

• Data and Information
  We look at the difference between data and information and why these concepts matter for IT solutions.
• pgAdmin
  You install pgAdmin and configure connections to the database server.
• Intro SQL
  In this introductory chapter, you will create a simple table, execute SQL queries, modify rows and delete rows.
• Question → Data
  What is data modeling? The three-layer model.
• Conceptual Data Model
  We look at the construction of a conceptual data model. We identify entities, attributes and relationships.
• Exercises Conceptual Model
  In the text on conceptual data modeling are references to multiple exercises. You find them all grouped together in this section.
• CSV
  You start from a given dataset in CSV format, clean it up and import it into a table. You run a number of queries on this table.
• SELECT
  With the SELECT statement, you determine which columns should be shown. You work with dates, strings, aliases, casting, ...
• WHERE
  With the WHERE statement, you limit the number of rows in the output. Topics covered include NULL, AND, OR, NOT, LIKE, BETWEEN and IN.
• GROUP BY / HAVING
  GROUP BY allows you to group data via aggregation functions. Conditions on the groups are defined via HAVING.
• ORDER BY
  You can change the order of rows in the result via an ORDER BY.
• LIMIT
  LIMIT limits the number of rows displayed. This statement is a good opportunity to briefly say something about standards.
• One-To-Many Relationships
  Introduction of the link between two tables via a relationship. Will be worked out in more detail in later chapters.
• INNER JOIN
  Cartesian product of two tables, INNER JOIN, join conditions, joining a table with itself.
• OUTER JOIN
  LEFT, RIGHT and FULL OUTER JOIN.
• SQL Exercises Tennis Database
  Plenty of SQL exercises on a small database about a Dutch tennis club where you practice all of the previous SQL chapters.
• Logical Data Model
  How to convert a conceptual model into a (relational) logical model. We talk about keys, redundancy and briefly about normalisation.
• Exercises Logical Model
  In the text on logical data modeling are references to multiple exercises. You find them all grouped together in this section.
• Physical Data Model
  What is the pysical data model and how to translate the logical model to the physical one.
• DBSchema
  We introduce a new tool that is very suitable for drawing a physical database model and generating it automatically on the database server.
• Privileges
  When working with several people in the same database, there is a need to think about user rights: who can do what in the database?
• Subqueries
  A query as part of a larger query.
• SQL Exercises Cooking Database
  A more detailed schema about an association that organises cooking workshops. All the SQL material is covered in these exercises. Each exercise has a (sometimes extensive) solution.