Learn SQL Basics - Star Wars Database Edition 🚀

Welcome to the SQL Basics course! This hands-on curriculum will teach you essential SQL skills using a Star Wars-themed database. By the end of this course, you'll be able to create, query, and manage relational databases with confidence.

📚 Quick Access: All Lessons

Lesson	Topic	Jupyter Notebook	Markdown	PDF	Solutions
1	Introduction to Databases & SQLite Setup	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
2	Selecting and Filtering Data (SELECT & WHERE)	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
3	Sorting and Limiting Results	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
4	Aggregate Functions and GROUP BY	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
5	Multiple Tables and Relationships	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
6	Table Joins	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
7	Updating and Deleting Data	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
8	Advanced Queries with Subqueries	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 sql
9	Python Database Integration	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 🐍 py
10	ORM & Non-SQL Overview	📓 Notebook	📝 Markdown	📄 PDF	📓 ipynb 📝 md

Choose Your Format:

• 📓 Jupyter Notebooks - Interactive, run code directly (Recommended)
• 📝 Markdown - Easy to read, copy code to separate files
• 📄 PDF - Print-friendly, perfect for offline study

📖 Lesson Structure

Each lesson follows this format:

• Learning Objectives - What you'll master
• Activities - Step-by-step exercises
• Deliverables - Files you'll create
• Challenge Problem - Test your skills

Lesson Breakdown

Lesson 1: Introduction to Databases & SQLite Setup

Duration: 20 minutes

Create your first database and insert Star Wars characters.

Key Concepts: CREATE TABLE, INSERT INTO, Primary Keys
Activities:

• Database concepts (3 min)
• Create starwars.db in the database folder and characters table (10 min)
• Insert 5-8 characters (7 min)

Deliverables: lesson1_setup.sql

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Lesson 2: Selecting and Filtering Data (SELECT & WHERE)

Duration: 20 minutes

Query data and filter results with conditions.

Key Concepts: SELECT, WHERE, Comparison Operators, LIKE
Activities:

• SELECT basics and WHERE clause (8 min)
• Comparison operators (=, !=, >, <) (5 min)
• Pattern matching with LIKE (7 min)

Deliverables: lesson2_queries.sql

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Lesson 3: Sorting and Limiting Results

Duration: 20 minutes

Control query output with sorting and limits.

Key Concepts: ORDER BY, LIMIT, OFFSET
Activities:

• ORDER BY ASC/DESC (8 min)
• LIMIT and pagination (5 min)
• Combined queries (7 min)

Deliverables: lesson3_sorting.sql

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Lesson 4: Aggregate Functions and GROUP BY

Duration: 20 minutes

Perform calculations on grouped data.

Key Concepts: COUNT, AVG, MAX, MIN, GROUP BY, HAVING
Activities:

• Aggregate functions (8 min)
• GROUP BY clause (7 min)
• HAVING for filtering groups (5 min)

Deliverables: lesson4_aggregates.sql

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Lesson 5: Multiple Tables and Relationships

Duration: 20 minutes

Design a multi-table database with foreign keys.

Key Concepts: Foreign Keys, One-to-Many Relationships
Activities:

• Relationship concepts (5 min)
• Create planets and vehicles tables (10 min)
• Insert related data (5 min)

Deliverables: lesson5_schema.sql, lesson5_data.sql

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Lesson 6: Table Joins

Duration: 20 minutes

Combine data from multiple tables using joins.

Key Concepts: INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN
Activities:

• JOIN concepts and syntax (5 min)
• INNER JOIN practice (8 min)
• LEFT JOIN and NULL handling (7 min)

Deliverables: lesson6_joins.sql

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Lesson 7: Updating and Deleting Data

Duration: 20 minutes

Modify and remove data safely.

Key Concepts: UPDATE, DELETE, WHERE (critical!)
Activities:

• UPDATE operations (8 min)
• DELETE operations (7 min)
• Safety practices and constraints (5 min)

Deliverables: lesson7_modifications.sql

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Lesson 8: Advanced Queries with Subqueries

Duration: 20 minutes

Write complex nested queries.

Key Concepts: Subqueries, IN, NOT IN, EXISTS
Activities:

• Subqueries in WHERE (10 min)
• IN and EXISTS operators (7 min)
• Practice complex queries (3 min)

Deliverables: lesson8_advanced.sql

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Lesson 9: Python Database Integration

Duration: 20 minutes

Connect to SQLite from Python and execute queries.

Key Concepts: Python sqlite3 module, Parameterized queries
Activities:

• Connection and cursor basics (8 min)
• Execute queries and fetch results (8 min)
• Parameterized queries (SQL injection prevention) (4 min)

Deliverables: lesson9_database.py

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Lesson 10: ORM & Non-SQL Overview

Duration: 20 minutes

Compare SQL, ORM, and NoSQL approaches.

Key Concepts: SQLAlchemy basics, NoSQL concepts
Activities:

• ORM introduction and comparison (10 min)
• NoSQL database types (8 min)
• When to use each approach (2 min)

Deliverables: lesson10_comparison.md

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📂 Project Structure

Learn_SQL_Basics/
├── README.md                    # This file
├── QUICKSTART_PDF.md            # Quick guide for PDF conversion
├── notes.md                     # Curriculum planning notes
├── TEACHING_NOTES.md            # Instructor guidance
├── requirements.txt             # Python dependencies
│
├── database/
│   └── starwars.db              # Your database (created in Lesson 1)
│
├── lessons/                     # 📓 Interactive Jupyter Notebooks
│   └── lesson*.ipynb
│
├── other_formats/
│   ├── markdown_lessons/        # 📝 Markdown Instructions
│   │   └── lesson*_instructions.md
│   └── pdf_lessons/             # 📄 PDF Documents (for printing)
│       └── lesson*_instructions.pdf
│
├── solutions/                   # ✅ Answer Keys
│   ├── *.ipynb                  # Jupyter notebook solutions
│   ├── *.sql                    # SQL script solutions
│   ├── *.py                     # Python script solutions
│   └── *.md                     # Written explanations
│
└── utils/                       # 🔧 Utility Scripts
    ├── md_to_pdf.py             # Markdown to PDF converter
    ├── install_dependencies.sh  # Dependency installer
    ├── convert_lessons.sh       # Quick conversion script
    └── README.md                # Utils documentation

📖 Lesson Formats

Each lesson is available in three formats to suit different learning styles:

📓 Jupyter Notebooks (Recommended)

Location: lessons/

• Interactive coding environment
• Run SQL and Python code directly
• Instant feedback and results
• Best for hands-on learning

How to use:

1. Navigate to lessons/
2. Open lesson1_setup.ipynb
3. Follow instructions and run cells as you go

📝 Markdown Instructions

Location: other_formats/markdown_lessons/

• Step-by-step written guides
• Easy to read in VSCode or GitHub
• Great for reference
• Can copy SQL code to separate files

How to use:

1. Navigate to other_formats/markdown_lessons/
2. Open lesson1_instructions.md
3. Read and follow along
4. Create your own .sql files in a lessons/ folder

📄 PDF Documents

Location: other_formats/pdf_lessons/

• Print-friendly format
• Professional formatting
• Perfect for offline study
• Easy to annotate

How to use:

1. Navigate to other_formats/pdf_lessons/
2. Download or open lesson1_instructions.pdf
3. Print or view on tablet/second screen

✅ Solutions

Location: solutions/

Complete solutions are provided for instructors and self-checking:

• Jupyter Notebooks - Interactive solutions with explanations
• SQL Files - Complete SQL scripts
• Python Files - Working Python code
• Markdown Files - Written explanations

🚨 Academic Honesty: Attempt each lesson yourself before checking solutions!

How to Use Solutions

1. Complete the lesson first - Give it your best effort
2. Check your work - Compare with solution after attempting
3. Learn from differences - Understand why the solution works
4. Ask questions - If solution doesn't make sense, ask instructor

Solution Files Available

• lesson1_setup.ipynb / lesson1_setup.sql
• lesson2_queries.ipynb / lesson2_queries.sql
• lesson3_sorting.ipynb / lesson3_sorting.sql
• lesson4_aggregates.ipynb / lesson4_aggregates.sql
• lesson5_schema.ipynb / lesson5_schema.sql / lesson5_data.sql
• lesson6_joins.ipynb / lesson6_joins.sql
• lesson7_modifications.ipynb / lesson7_modifications.sql
• lesson8_advanced.ipynb / lesson8_advanced.sql
• lesson9_database.ipynb / lesson9_database.py
• lesson10_comparison.ipynb / lesson10_comparison.md

🎯 Learning Tips

1. Type everything yourself - Don't copy/paste. Muscle memory helps learning.
2. Experiment freely - The Codespace resets, so try variations without fear.
3. Read error messages - They're your friends! They tell you what went wrong.
4. Use the VSCode plugin - Visualize your database structure and results.
5. Complete challenge problems - They prepare you for exam-style questions.
6. Build incrementally - Each lesson builds on the previous one.
7. Save your work - Commit changes to preserve your progress.

� Generating PDFs

Want to create your own PDFs from markdown files or update existing PDFs?

Quick Start

bash utils/convert_lessons.sh

This will automatically:

• Install required dependencies (if needed)
• Convert all markdown lessons to PDF
• Save PDFs to other_formats/pdf_lessons/ directory

Manual Conversion

Install dependencies:

bash utils/install_dependencies.sh

Convert all lessons:

python3 utils/md_to_pdf.py --directory "other_formats/markdown_lessons" --output-dir "other_formats/pdf_lessons"

Convert single lesson:

python3 utils/md_to_pdf.py --file "other_formats/markdown_lessons/lesson1_instructions.md" --output-dir "other_formats/pdf_lessons"

For more details, see utils/README.md or QUICKSTART_PDF.md

�💡 How to Use SQL Files

Running SQL Queries in VSCode

Method 1: Using the SQLite3 Editor Plugin

1. Right-click on database/starwars.db (once created) → "Open with SQLite3 Editor"
2. Open your .sql file in the editor
3. Select the SQL code you want to run
4. Right-click → "Run Selected Query"
5. View results in the Output panel

Method 2: Quick Execute

• Open any .sql file
• Use keyboard shortcut (varies by OS)
• Results appear instantly

Tips

• The VSCode plugin is already installed and configured
• You can execute multiple queries at once
• Results display in a clean, tabular format

🔍 Assessment

Ongoing Evaluation

• ✅ SQL file completeness and correctness
• ✅ Python script functionality
• ✅ Challenge problem solutions
• ✅ Code organization and comments

Optional Final Project

Choose one capstone project:

1. Star Wars Encyclopedia CLI - Full CRUD application with advanced features
2. Database Design Challenge - Expand the database with new tables
3. SQL vs ORM Performance Study - Benchmark and analyze different approaches

📚 Additional Resources

Online Practice

• SQLBolt - Interactive SQL tutorials
• LeetCode Database Problems - Practice SQL challenges
• DB Fiddle - Online SQL playground

Documentation

• SQLite Documentation
• Python sqlite3 Module
• SQLAlchemy Documentation

Star Wars Data

• SWAPI - The Star Wars API - For additional data ideas

🤝 Getting Help

1. Read error messages carefully - They usually explain the problem
2. Check your SQL syntax - Typos are common
3. Review previous lessons - The solution might be in earlier material
4. Use the resources folder - Quick reference materials available
5. Ask your instructor - We're here to help!
6. Check the solutions folder - After attempting problems yourself

📝 Curriculum Alignment

This course covers all required curriculum points:

✅ Apply a web-based database and construct scripts that execute SQL
✅ Selecting fields
✅ Incorporating GROUP BY
✅ Common SQL queries
✅ Constraints using WHERE keyword
✅ Table joins
✅ Interfacing with SQL and non-SQL databases
✅ Compare Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) to SQL

🎓 Exam Preparation

Focus Areas for Assessment:

• SQL syntax (primary focus)
• SELECT queries with WHERE, ORDER BY, LIMIT
• Aggregate functions and GROUP BY
• Table joins (INNER, LEFT, RIGHT)
• Subqueries
• UPDATE and DELETE operations
• Database design concepts

Less Emphasis:

• ORM (conceptual understanding only)
• NoSQL (awareness level)
• Python integration (practical skill, not exam focus)

⭐ May the Force Be With You!

Ready to begin your SQL journey? Start with Lesson 1 in the lessons/ folder!

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Course maintained by: TempeHS
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: November 2025