DEV Community: Dalton Knuckles

Exploring the Basics of SQL: A Novice's Journey

Dalton Knuckles — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:21:48 +0000

Hey there, fellow tech enthusiasts! Today, I'm diving into the world of SQL – that mysterious acronym I've heard thrown around at work in discussions about databases and data management. As a coding novice, I wanted to demystify SQL and share my discoveries with you. I hope this can help you in your career as it has for me! So, join me on this adventure as I explore the basics of Structured Query Language (SQL) and how it works.

What's SQL, Anyway?

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. Don't be intimidated by the name; it's essentially a language used to communicate with databases. In fact, I have also heard SQL standing for Simple Query Language. Think of a database as a digital filing cabinet where you store and organize your data. SQL is like the special key that lets you interact with this filing cabinet, retrieving and manipulating data as needed.

The Fundamental Verbs: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE

My first encounter with SQL was learning about its core verbs: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. These verbs might sound like they're straight out of a grammar class, but they're the building blocks of SQL operations.

SELECT: This is like the "search" command. You use it to fetch data from the database. Imagine you have a table with information about customers – you could use SELECT to fetch all names from that table.
INSERT: With INSERT, you can add new data to a table. Let's say you've got a blog and someone posts a new comment – you'd use INSERT to add that comment to your database.
UPDATE: This verb lets you modify existing data. If you realize you made a typo in a blog comment, UPDATE comes to the rescue, allowing you to correct the error.
DELETE: Just like it sounds, DELETE lets you remove data from a table. Let's say someone posted a comment that's not appropriate – you'd use DELETE to get rid of it.

Navigating the World of Queries

SQL commands are called queries. A query is like a request you make to the database. It's where the real magic happens! You structure your query using the aforementioned verbs and some other keywords.

Here's a simple query I tried out:

SELECT name, age FROM customers WHERE country = 'USA';

In plain English, this query asks the database to give me the names and ages of all customers from the USA. Neat, right?

Getting Selective with Filtering

Filters are like the magnifying glass of SQL. They let you narrow down your results based on specific conditions. In the example query above, the filter is WHERE country = 'USA'. It tells the database to only show results where the 'country' column has the value 'USA'.

Grouping and Sorting

SQL can also help you group and sort data. Imagine you have a sales table with products and their prices. You can use SQL to group products by category and calculate the average price for each category. You can also sort the results in ascending or descending order.

Embracing Joins

As I delved deeper, I stumbled upon the concept of joins. Imagine you have two tables – one for customers and one for orders. You can use SQL joins to combine these tables and get information like which customers placed which orders. It's like merging puzzle pieces to create a bigger picture.

Conclusion

And there you have it – a beginner's journey into SQL. What once seemed like an intimidating language turned out to be a powerful tool for managing and manipulating data. From simple queries to complex joins, SQL offers a way to interact with databases and retrieve the information you need.

So, fellow newcomers to the tech world, don't shy away from SQL. Embrace it as your passport to the world of databases and data manipulation. With practice and patience, you'll soon be crafting your own queries and navigating the world of data with confidence. Happy querying!

Balancing Full-Time Work, A Family & A Full-Stack Web Development Bootcamp: The Next 2 Months

Dalton Knuckles — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 07:58:28 +0000

Where to start...

CHANGE and lots of it. As I head into months 4 & 5 I find my personal and work life changing drastically and keeping up with a full time software bootcamp at the same time seemed challenging to same the least.

Work:

In work I have started a new role; same capacity, same company, just different office, with a different team. With this transfer my schedule was adjusted from working Days to Nights. This was a huge change but was needed to meet my non-tech work goals.

Life:

With the schedule change of course my personal life is thrown askew. I find myself not enjoying those early morning coffees and getting to get up when my son wakes up first thing in the morning. Although these are the little things I miss, oh so much, I know it is just for the time being while I work to make the best for us all. When there is a will, there is a way and I know I will get back to days soon enough.

School:

Now about school.. With the changes in work and life the past 2 months I found myself falling behind some weeks and then getting ahead others. I struggled to stick to my 1 hour of school work a day. For the first month or so, waking up in the afternoon before work, I just could not pull myself to get the laptop out and do school. As I have adjusted I have gotten better, and getting back in that groove. Part of what has kept me going is getting to really dive deep into React, something a work friend introduced me to & said I "NEEDED to learn." I have really enjoyed React. Such a useful JavaScript library that has so much to learn with the use of components & ability to only re-render components that have been changed, rather than updating the entire webpage. At the end I made it through Phase 2 and am excited and ready to see what Phase 3 has in store.

I Will Let Y'All Go With This:

Do I reject joining this bootcamp? Not at all! In fact, falling behind and catching up has only pushed me to do better in Phase 3. I know I will be able to finish this out and start the next chapter in my career. If I can do it, so can you! Until next time..

Balancing Full-Time Work, A Family & A Full-Stack Web Development Bootcamp: My First 3 Months

Dalton Knuckles — Fri, 12 May 2023 05:26:19 +0000

Introduction:
Embarking on a full-stack web development bootcamp is an exciting journey, but it can also be challenging when you have to juggle it with a full-time job & family. In this blog, I'll share my personal experience of managing all these commitments during the first three months of a full-stack web development bootcamp. From the highs and lows to the strategies I adopted, I hope my story will inspire and provide insights for those who find themselves in a similar situation.

Month 1: The Initial Struggles
As the bootcamp began, I quickly realized that maintaining a consistent schedule was going to be tough when having a wife and child can be unpredictable. My work schedule was consistent which was nice, I planned to spend at least an hour a day after work doing school work, and used my weekends to really catch up when needed. This seemed to work well for me.

Month 2: Getting the Hang of Things
Going into the second month of this bootcamp I started to feel I had a groove. Small speed bumps did fall in the way when it came to weekend long family commitments but nothing a couple days of grinding school work didn't help to get me caught up. By this point I am starting to realize that I am actually learning some things. I know what some co-workers are referring to when they start starting in dev-talk. It's a good feeling.

Month 3: Pushing Towards the End of Phase 1
By this point we are hitting present time. Working on phase 1 project has been something I never thought I would be able to do, but after three months of learning, struggling & having successes I have been able to put everything together to create a web app that works. It may not be the prettiest but I believe this is just something that comes with time & practice. As I head into phase 2 I can just think of what is to come and all that will be learned.

Conclusion:
If you have been thinking about starting a full-stack bootcamp but are afraid you will not have the time due to a full-time job & family, then I hope this blog has helped. If you are going through a bootcamp now & are thinking you cannot finish, fret not, you can do it! Just try to set at least an hour aside a day to work on it and soon you'll be typing code without even realizing. Coming up I am ready to learn Ruby and starting creating servers for the backend!