FOUNDATION

SQL SELECT

Choose the columns you want to return from a table.

After this lessonSelect all columns or only the fields you need.

How it works

SELECT is the starting point for most read-only SQL work. It tells the database which columns should appear in the result. Selecting only the fields you need makes results easier to read and often reduces unnecessary work.

Use * while exploring a small demo table, but prefer explicit column names in production reports so the output stays predictable when a table changes.

REAL WORK

A production report may need only PO, material and status instead of every technical column in the source table.

SYNTAX

The pattern

SELECT column1, column2
FROM table_name;

Example

SELECT OrderID, CustomerID, Status
FROM Orders;

TRY IT

Run the example

Edit the query and run it against the built-in demo tables. Nothing is sent to a server.

SELECT OrderID, CustomerID, Status
FROM Orders;

The learning runner supports SELECT, WHERE, LIKE, IN, BETWEEN, GROUP BY, HAVING, JOIN, aggregates, ORDER BY and LIMIT. Advanced lessons explain additional production SQL concepts even when the mini runner does not execute that syntax.

QUICK CHECK

Which query returns only OrderID and Status?

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