How to read data in a table with "SELECT" statements in SQL Server?

This is the fourth tutorial of a quick lesson on creating database objects with Transact-SQL statements. This lesson shows you how to create a database, create a table in the database, and then access and change the data in the table. Because this lesson is an introduction to using Transact-SQL, it does not use or describe the many options that are available for these statements. This tutorial assumes that you are running SQL Server Management Studio Express.

Use the SELECT statement to read the data in a table. The SELECT statement is one of the most important Transact-SQL statements, and there are many variations in the syntax. For this tutorial, you will work with five simple versions.

To read the data in a table - Type and execute the following statements to read the data in the Products table.

-- The basic syntax for reading data from a single table
SELECT ProductID, ProductName, Price, ProductDescription
    FROM dbo.Products
GO

You can use an asterisk to select all the columns in the table. This is often used in ad hoc queries. You should provide the column list in you permanent code so that the statement will return the predicted columns, even if a new column is added to the table later.

-- Returns all columns in the table
-- Does not use the optional schema, dbo
SELECT * FROM Products
GO

You can omit columns that you do not want to return. The columns will be returned in the order that they are listed.

-- Returns only two of the columns from the table
SELECT ProductName, Price
    FROM dbo.Products
GO

Use a WHERE clause to limit the rows that are returned to the user.

-- Returns only two of the records in the table
SELECT ProductID, ProductName, Price, ProductDescription
    FROM dbo.Products
    WHERE ProductID < 60
GO

You can work with the values in the columns as they are returned. The following example performs a mathematical operation on the Price column. Columns that have been changed in this way will not have a name unless you provide one by using the AS keyword.

-- Returns ProductName and the Price including a 7% tax
-- Provides the name CustomerPays for the calculated column
SELECT ProductName, Price * 1.07 AS CustomerPays
    FROM dbo.Products
GO

⇒ "CREATE LOGIN" Statements - Creating a Login in SQL Server

⇐ "INSERT" and "UPDATE" Statements - Inserting and Updating Data In Tables in SQL Server

⇑ Getting Started with Transact-SQL Statements in SQL Server

⇑⇑ SQL Server Database Tutorials