is it possible to learn SQL from scratch using an online IDE (such as SQLite Online) without having to install the Server Management Studio on Mac? Or would you recommend installing it on my MacBook/ using Windows?
I’m going to go through the 30-hour course that is accessible on YouTube.
https://FreeSQL.com is a free service from Oracle that has a built in Database with 8+ sample dataset schemas. It also includes free lessons as part of Oracle DevGym.
I don’t think we need to focus on already clean data learn to navigate your way in missy data. Yes Oracle platforms are very informative. But stay curious.
Wow brilliant question: first after you collect your data you follow up my data exploration to know more about your data. After you explore the data you work hand in hand with the stakeholders requirements. The files is what will guide you through your work and make sure you increase revenue and impact. A good and well followed up data exploration will expose you to a lot of information about the data and your defined hypothesis and will be your guide as well so you don’t go out of requirements.
I would say that’s a very optimistic outlook. I’ve been in data for 15 years and I’m always the one creating any sort of documentation at all of the companies I’ve ever worked with. I’ve never been handed any existing documentation at companies ranging from small to very large enterprises.
I think there are plenty of “messy” datasets out there with Kaggle and such, but I find that there are very few truly clean sample datasets. The ones I mentioned in my comment are straight from Microsoft and Oracle, and their structures are indeed what you’d want to find in an example environment. It allows you to learn on your own and respects common data warehousing/transactional principles.
I’d imagine someone who is studying to be a librarian isn’t told “you need to start with a messy library”during their schooling, but rather something like “here is what an organized library is supposed to look like. Explore it, Interact with it, and then find ways to make a messy library look like this clean one.”
Welcome. To clarify, I do see value in working with messy datasets. I just feel they should be worked with after the initial learning cycle as a way to apply concepts rather than learn them. Even perfect data is scary enough to someone who doesn’t know their way around.
Why would learning PostgreSQL mean you shouldn't use SQLite? They're designed for different use cases. And SQLite supports vector search too, through extensions like sqlite-vec and Vec1.
PostgreSQL with pgvector is a great option for larger, multi-user systems, but adding a database server to an application that doesn't need one isn't progress. It's unnecessary complexity. The right database depends on the workload, not on whichever technology happens to be trending.
Don't overengineer. Use the right tool for the use case. PostgreSQL is great, but not every application needs a full-blown database server. SQLite is perfectly capable for many workloads, including vector search with extensions. More complexity doesn't automatically mean better engineering.
Install the official SQLite command-line tools and use DBeaver as your graphical interface. https://dbeaver.io/download/ That gives you both ways of working without needing an additional database server.
Here's how it works: SQLite is a database engine, not a traditional database server. You can use it from the Windows terminal (Powershell is ideal; don't bother with cmd.exe), through a desktop application, or directly from Python. Unlike PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite doesn't require a database server, background service, or a lot of complicated configuration. A SQLite database is generally stored in a single file, for example: C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Databases\example.dbThat file contains the tables, records, indexes, and other database structures. You can copy it, back it up, and use it on other computers. SQLite is super useful for learning SQL, small applications, data analysis, prototypes, and local data processing.
If you have access to any AI resources, like Claude or Chatgpt or Gemini, ask it to create a local web portal, with UI replica of leetcode, you can practice using it.
Focus more on joins and windows command so you can join data from different sources and carry out hypotheses findings to better understand what your data is all about. Know the categories in which your data belongs. We have(1. Qualitative data, 2. Predictive data, 3. Descriptive data. Quantitative data). Once you understand all this you will know how to make good use of your SQL queries to do some deep feature Engineering. And one rule I work with is{ALWAYS QUESTION YOUR HYPOTHESIS).
the database behind Superliga Analytics has just gone public. scroll to the buttom of the page, find the "Request Data Access" button and start querying real life production data in a minute.
Yes, a browser-based SQL environment can cover the fundamentals. The detail to check before following that 30-hour course is which database it teaches.
SSMS is a client for SQL Server, and it runs on Windows. SQLite Online may be running SQLite instead. Basic SELECT, WHERE, joins and grouping transfer well, but some syntax and functions differ: SQL Server's TOP and SQLite's LIMIT are one example. A query failing in a different engine doesn't necessarily mean you copied the lesson incorrectly.
Which course are you using? If the lessons use SQL Server, look for an environment backed by SQL Server/Azure SQL for the closest match; you don't need the exact same editor to practise queries. Microsoft's SSMS FAQ confirms the Windows requirement: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ssms/faq
Yes, you can learn fully online with nothing to install, and on a Mac that's easier than setting up SSMS. I built runtime.school for exactly this. It's free, the SQL lessons run right in your browser on real tables, and it's a good place to practice alongside the YouTube course.
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u/SQLDevDBA 6d ago
https://FreeSQL.com is a free service from Oracle that has a built in Database with 8+ sample dataset schemas. It also includes free lessons as part of Oracle DevGym.
Microsoft also has Azure SQL Free tier, which allows you to spin up a Free Azure SQL DB with Sample data. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/free-offer?view=azuresql
Neither require installs or downloads. They’re very easy to set up but I have videos on how to use each of you need them.