Database Fundamentals/Tables and Data Types

This lesson introduces tables and data types.

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for the tables and data types portion of Microsoft Exam 98-364 Database Fundamentals include:

• Create database objects
  • Understand tables and how to create them
    • Purpose of tables; create tables in a database by using proper ANSI SQL syntax
  • Choose data types
    • Understand what data types are, why they are important, and how they affect storage requirements

Readings

1. Wikipedia: Table (database)
2. Wikipedia: Field (computer science)
3. Wikipedia: Data type
4. Wikipedia: Data definition language

Multimedia

1. Microsoft Virtual Academy: Creating Databases and Database Objects
2. YouTube: Database Objects

Activities

1. Create a new sample database.
2. Create a new database:
   • Watch YouTube: How to Create MS SQL Database Using SQL Server Management Studio.
   • Read [1] Microsoft: SQL Server Create a Database].
   • Create a new sample database called College using SQL Server Management Studio.
3. Create tables in sample database:
   • Watch YouTube: SQL Server 2014 How to Create Tables.
   • Read Microsoft: Create Tables Using SQL Server Management Studio (Database Engine).
   • Read W3CSchools.com: SQL General Data Types.
   • Create three tables using SQL Server Management Studio named Student, Course and Instructor.
   • Add three fields (columns) into each table with applicable data types of your choice.
     • For example: Course table could include the CourseID, Description, CreditHours fields. CourseID is the primary key.
     • Student table could include the StudentID, StudentFirstName, StudentLastName fields. StudentID is the primary key.
     • Instructor table could include the InstructorID, InstructorFirstName, InstructorLastName, Department. InstructorID is the primary key.
   • For each table, insert three or five records. In the Student table, insert a student record with your first name and last name.
   • Practice displaying and examining the database tables, columns and data.

Lesson Summary

• Each column in an SQL table declares the data type(s) that column may contain.
• A table is a collection of related data held in a structured format within a database. It consists of fields (columns), and rows.

Key Terms

data type

table

See Also

• Microsoft: CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)

References

Type classification: this is a lesson resource.

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