13 Common SQL Queries for Managing Data

Databases represent large swimming pools. If you don’t know how to swim, the deep end of the pool at summer camp can seem like a very daunting, dark place. However, that same pool could be a stunning and refreshing place on a sunny day, if you know how to swim. 

Similarly, a huge database can be overwhelming if you don’t have an efficient way to sort, manage, and find the data you need. That same database can turn into a fun and useful pool of possibilities if you know the most common and simple queries of SQL.

SQL makes it easy to work with massive databases without getting overwhelmed or needing to spend hours manually scrolling through Excel spreadsheets. This post covers 13 of the most used SQL queries that you can use to find, sort, arrange, modify, and manage data in a database of any size.

Before we start talking about them, we should realize that these queries work on all types of SQL engines available in the market. 

Demystifying SQL: What is it?

SQL, or Structured Query Language, serves as a programming language designed to help you communicate with relational databases in your system. The SQL language uses simple statements and queries to manage, organize, and update data in a database.

For a simple metaphor, think about how we turn a car while driving. When you want to turn your vehicle, you rotate the car’s steering wheel without worrying about the mechanical reaction taking place within the wheel’s axle. Similarly, when you use SQL, you only have to fire simple queries to retrieve and manage data from your database without having to understand and work with behind-the-scenes internal database operations. 

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