INTRODUCTION TO RELATIONAL DATABASE SYSTEMS

• The origin and history of IBMOs relational products
• Terminology pertinent to relational environments
• Overview of DB2 system components
• How data is physically stored in a relational DBMS
• The logical organization of the database
• How the system retrieves data from the database
• Data relationships
• SQL syntax rules
• Using SPUFI (or QMF, ISPF) to build and execute interactive SQL queries

USING SQL FOR DATA DEFINITION

• Understanding and using SQL data types
• The use and implications of NULL values
• Creating databases, tables, and other objects
• Deleting databases, tables, and other objects
• Understanding indexes
• When and how to use an index
• Advantages and disadvantages of index usage
• Primary and foreign keys
• Referential integrity
• The optimizer, indexes, and the EXPLAIN statement

USING SQL FOR BASIC DATA RETRIEVAL

• Syntax of SELECT statements
• Tailoring a Select List to choose specific columns
• Building expressions
• Using the WHERE clause to choose specific rows
• How to eliminate duplicate data
• Coping with NULL values during data retrieval
• Using DISTINCT, ANY, and ALL
• Rules for logical comparison of data
• Boolean comparison, using NOT, AND, and OR
• Rules for arithmetic comparison of data
• Using IN and NOT IN to build include lists
• Using BETWEEN and NOT BETWEEN to define ranges
• Pattern-matching and building search arguments, using LIKE, NOT LIKE, and wildcard values
• Sorting output, using the ORDER BY clause
• The EXISTS and NOT EXISTS predicates

USING SQL FOR ADVANCED DATA RETRIEVAL

• Aggregate (Built-In) Functions, including AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT (*), COUNT (DISTINCT), and SUM
• Scalar Functions, including
  • Conversion between different data types
  • Date and time functions
  • Character string concatenation
• GROUP BY and HAVING clauses
• UNION and UNION ALL keywords
• Joining tables
• How to specify join criteria
• Uses and rules for Sub-queries
• Uses and rules for Views

USING SQL FOR DATA MODIFICATION

• The INSERT statement, including examination of statement parameters and referential integrity implications.
• The UPDATE statement, including examination of statement parameters and referential integrity implications.
• The DELETE statement, including examination of statement parameters and referential integrity implications.
• The COMMIT statement and database recovery.