SQL Commands Cheat Sheet
Data Manipulation Language (DML)
Command Description Syntax Example
SELECT Retrieve data SELECT col1, col2 FROM SELECT first_name, last_name
table; FROM customers;
INSERT Add new record INSERT INTO table (col1, INSERT INTO customers
col2) VALUES (val1, val2); (first_name, last_name) VALUES
('Mary', 'Doe');
UPDATE Modify record UPDATE table SET col1 = UPDATE employees SET
val1 WHERE condition; department = 'Marketing'
WHERE employee_name = 'John
Doe';
DELETE Remove record DELETE FROM table DELETE FROM employees
WHERE condition; WHERE employee_name = 'John
Doe';
Data Definition Language (DDL)
Command Description Syntax Example
CREATE Create table/object CREATE TABLE table (col1 CREATE TABLE employees
datatype, col2 datatype); (employee_id INT PRIMARY KEY,
first_name VARCHAR(50));
ALTER Modify table ALTER TABLE table ADD ALTER TABLE customers ADD
col_name datatype; email VARCHAR(100);
DROP Delete table/object DROP TABLE table; DROP TABLE customers;
TRUNCATE Delete all records TRUNCATE TABLE table; TRUNCATE TABLE customers;
Data Control Language (DCL)
Command Description Syntax Example
GRANT Give access GRANT privileges ON table GRANT SELECT, INSERT ON
TO user; employees TO 'John Doe';
REVOKE Revoke access REVOKE privileges ON REVOKE SELECT, INSERT ON
table FROM user; employees FROM 'John Doe';
Query Clauses
Command Description Syntax Example
WHERE Filter rows SELECT * FROM table SELECT * FROM customers WHERE age >
WHERE condition; 30;
ORDER BY Sort results SELECT * FROM table ORDER SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY
BY column ASC|DESC; price DESC;
GROUP BY Group results SELECT column, COUNT(*) SELECT category, COUNT(*) FROM
FROM table GROUP BY products GROUP BY category;
column;
HAVING Filter grouped SELECT column, COUNT(*) SELECT category, COUNT(*) FROM
results FROM table GROUP BY products GROUP BY category HAVING
column HAVING condition; COUNT(*) > 5;
Joins
Command Description Syntax Example
INNER JOIN Matching rows in SELECT * FROM t1 INNER SELECT * FROM employees INNER JOIN
both tables JOIN t2 ON [Link] = [Link]; departments ON
employees.department_id =
[Link];
LEFT JOIN All from left + SELECT * FROM t1 LEFT JOIN SELECT * FROM employees LEFT JOIN
matching right t2 ON [Link] = [Link]; departments ON
employees.department_id =
[Link];
RIGHT JOIN All from right + SELECT * FROM t1 RIGHT SELECT * FROM employees RIGHT JOIN
matching left JOIN t2 ON [Link] = [Link]; departments ON
employees.department_id =
departments.department_id;
FULL JOIN All rows from both LEFT JOIN + RIGHT JOIN with SELECT * FROM employees LEFT JOIN
tables UNION departments ON [Link] =
[Link] UNION SELECT * FROM
employees RIGHT JOIN departments ON
[Link] = [Link];
CROSS JOIN Cartesian product SELECT * FROM t1 CROSS SELECT * FROM employees CROSS JOIN
JOIN t2; departments;
SELF JOIN Join the same SELECT * FROM t1, t1 t2 SELECT * FROM employees t1,
table WHERE [Link] = [Link]; employees t2 WHERE t1.manager_id =
t2.employee_id;
NATURAL JOIN Join by common SELECT * FROM t1 NATURAL SELECT * FROM employees NATURAL
columns JOIN t2; JOIN departments;
Subqueries
Command Description Syntax Example
IN Value in subquery result SELECT * FROM table WHERE SELECT * FROM customers WHERE
col IN (subquery); city IN (SELECT city FROM suppliers);
ANY Compare to any value SELECT * FROM table WHERE SELECT * FROM products WHERE
val < ANY (subquery); price < ANY (SELECT unit_price FROM
supplier_products);
ALL Compare to all values SELECT * FROM table WHERE SELECT * FROM orders WHERE
val > ALL (subquery); order_amount > ALL (SELECT
total_amount FROM previous_orders);
Aggregate Functions
Command Description Syntax Example
COUNT() Count rows SELECT COUNT(col) FROM SELECT COUNT(age) FROM
table; employees;
SUM() Sum values SELECT SUM(col) FROM table; SELECT SUM(revenue) FROM sales;
AVG() Average value SELECT AVG(col) FROM table; SELECT AVG(price) FROM products;
MIN() Minimum value SELECT MIN(col) FROM table; SELECT MIN(price) FROM products;
MAX() Maximum value SELECT MAX(col) FROM table; SELECT MAX(price) FROM products;
String Functions
Command Description Syntax Example
CONCAT() Combine strings SELECT CONCAT(str1, str2) SELECT CONCAT(first_name, ' ',
FROM table; last_name) FROM employees;
SUBSTRING() Extract substring SELECT SUBSTRING(str FROM SELECT
start FOR len) FROM table; SUBSTRING(product_name FROM
1 FOR 5) FROM products;
CHAR_LENGTH() String length SELECT CHAR_LENGTH(str) SELECT
FROM table; CHAR_LENGTH(product_name)
FROM products;
UPPER() To uppercase SELECT UPPER(str) FROM table; SELECT UPPER(first_name) FROM
employees;
LOWER() To lowercase SELECT LOWER(str) FROM table; SELECT LOWER(last_name) FROM
employees;
TRIM() Trim spaces SELECT TRIM(str) FROM table; SELECT TRIM(full_name) FROM
customers;
LEFT() Left part of string SELECT LEFT(str, n) FROM table; SELECT LEFT(product_name, 5)
FROM products;
RIGHT() Right part of string SELECT RIGHT(str, n) FROM SELECT RIGHT(order_number, 4)
table; FROM orders;
REPLACE() Replace substring SELECT REPLACE(str, old, new) SELECT REPLACE(description,
FROM table; 'old', 'new') FROM
product_descriptions;
Date & Time Functions
Command Description Syntax Example
CURRENT_DATE() Today's date SELECT CURRENT_DATE(); SELECT CURRENT_DATE();
CURRENT_TIME() Current time SELECT CURRENT_TIME(); SELECT CURRENT_TIME();
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP() Current date and SELECT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP(); SELECT
time CURRENT_TIMESTAMP();
DATE_PART() Extract part of date SELECT DATE_PART('part', date); SELECT DATE_PART('year',
'2024-04-11');
DATE_ADD() Add to date SELECT DATE_ADD(date, SELECT DATE_ADD('2024-04-11',
INTERVAL n unit); INTERVAL 1 DAY);
DATE_SUB() Subtract from date SELECT DATE_SUB(date, SELECT DATE_SUB('2024-04-11',
INTERVAL n unit); INTERVAL 1 DAY);
EXTRACT() Extract date part SELECT EXTRACT(PART FROM SELECT EXTRACT(YEAR FROM
date); '2024-04-11');
TO_CHAR() Format date SELECT TO_CHAR(date, 'format'); SELECT TO_CHAR('2024-04-11',
'YYYY-MM-DD');
TIMESTAMPDIFF() Time difference SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(unit, SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(DAY,
date1, date2); '2024-04-10', '2024-04-11');
DATEDIFF() Day difference SELECT DATEDIFF(date1, date2); SELECT DATEDIFF('2024-04-11',
'2024-04-10');
Conditional Expressions
Command Description Syntax Example
CASE Conditional logic SELECT col, CASE WHEN SELECT order_id, CASE WHEN
cond THEN val ELSE val total_amount > 1000 THEN 'High'
END FROM table; ELSE 'Low' END AS status FROM
orders;
IF() Inline condition SELECT IF(cond, true_val, SELECT name, IF(age > 50, 'Senior',
false_val) FROM table; 'Junior') FROM employees;
COALESCE() First non-null SELECT COALESCE(val1, SELECT COALESCE(first_name,
val2) FROM table; middle_name) FROM employees;
NULLIF() Return null if equal SELECT NULLIF(val1, val2) SELECT NULLIF(total_amount,
FROM table; discounted_amount) FROM orders;
Set Operations
Command Description Syntax Example
UNION Combine unique rows SELECT col FROM table1 SELECT first_name FROM
UNION SELECT col FROM customers UNION SELECT
table2; first_name FROM employees;
INTERSECT Common rows SELECT col FROM table1 SELECT first_name FROM
INTERSECT SELECT col customers INTERSECT SELECT
FROM table2; first_name FROM employees;
EXCEPT Rows in first not second SELECT col FROM table1 SELECT first_name FROM
EXCEPT SELECT col FROM customers EXCEPT SELECT
table2; first_name FROM employees;
Transaction Control
Command Description Syntax Example
BEGIN Start transaction BEGIN; BEGIN;
COMMIT Save changes COMMIT; COMMIT;
ROLLBACK Undo changes ROLLBACK; ROLLBACK;
SAVEPOINT Set rollback point SAVEPOINT sp_name; SAVEPOINT before_update;
ROLLBACK TO Rollback to point ROLLBACK TO sp_name; ROLLBACK TO before_update;
SET TRANSACTION Set transaction mode SET TRANSACTION SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION
ISOLATION LEVEL LEVEL; LEVEL READ COMMITTED;
