SQL Keywords With Examples [Latest]

SQL Keywords

SQL keywords are case insensitive. So the keyword SELECT and select will behave in the same way. Let’s look at some of the commonly used SQL keywords.

1. ALTER TABLE: ALTER TABLE is used for altering column of a table.
   
   ALTER TABLE table_name ADD column datatype;

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   ALTER TABLE table_name ADD column datatype;

   
   Output: On execution of this command a column will get added to the table table_name.
2. AND: AND is an sql operator which is used for adding multiple condition. If the conditions are satisfied by a row. It will be part of the result set.
   
   SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column1 = value1 AND column2 = value2;

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   SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column1 = value1 AND column2 = value2;

   
   Output: On execution of this command, if column1 is equal to value1 and column2 is equal to value2 then only the row will be qualified for result set.
3. AS: AS is used for aliasing a column or table.
   
   SELECT column_name AS 'Alias' FROM table_name;

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   SELECT column_name AS 'Alias' FROM table_name;

   
   Output: On execution of this command, the result will display column_name as ‘Alias’.

4. AVG: AVG is an aggregate function which will provide the average of the numeric column.
   
   SELECT AVG(column_name) FROM table_name;

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   SELECT AVG(column_name) FROM table_name;

   
   Output: Execution of this command will provide the average of column_name.
5. BETWEEN: BETWEEN is an operator which is used for defining a set. The value for range can be numeric, text and date.
   
   SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name WHERE column_name BETWEEN value1 AND value2;

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   SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name WHERE column_name BETWEEN value1 AND value2;

   
   Output: Execution of this command will give a result set bounded by value1 and value2.
6. COUNT: COUNT is a function which provides the count of the row for a column. The column should be a not null column.
   
   SELECT COUNT(column_name) FROM table_name;

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   SELECT COUNT(column_name) FROM table_name;

   
   Output: On execution of this command, the result will contain the count of the rows for column_name.
7. CREATE TABLE: This command is used to create table in the database. It allows to specify the name of the table along with the name a datatype of the column.
   
   CREATE TABLE table_name (column1 datatype, column2 datatype);

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   CREATE TABLE table_name (column1 datatype, column2 datatype);

   
   Output: Execution of this command will result in creation of table with name as table_name along with column1 and column2 as the columns of the table.
8. DELETE: DELETE is the command which is used for removing rows from the table
   
   DELETE FROM table_name WHERE column_name = value;

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   DELETE FROM table_name WHERE column_name = value;

   
   Output: On execution of this command the rows that will be selected based on the condition in the WHERE clause will be deleted.

9. GROUP BY: GROUP BY is a clause in SQL that is only used with aggregate functions. It is used along with the SELECT statement to arrange identical data into groups.
   
   SELECT COUNT(*) FROM table_name GROUP BY column_name;

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   SELECT COUNT(*) FROM table_name GROUP BY column_name;

   
   Output: Execution of this order will result in grouping the result set based on the column_name.
10. INNER JOIN: INNER JOIN will select records with matching values in two tables.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_1 INNER JOIN table_2 ON table_1.column_name = table_2.column_name;

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_1 INNER JOIN table_2 ON table_1.column_name = table_2.column_name;

    
    Output: Above command will result in rows where both tables have matching values for column_name.
11. INSERT: INSERT is used for adding a new row in the table.
    
    INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, column3) VALUES (value1, 'value2', value3);

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    INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, column3) VALUES (value1, 'value2', value3);

    
    Output: Execution of this command will result in addition of a new row with values corresponding to the columns.
12. LIKE: LIKE is an operator which is used for specifying a pattern. This operator is used along with WHERE clause.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE pattern;

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE pattern;

    
    Output: Output will the rows that will satisfy the like pattern.
13. LIMIT: LIMIT is a clause which allows the restricting the result set rows to maximum number specified by the limit clause.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_name LIMIT number;

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_name LIMIT number;

    
    Output: The resultset will be limited by the number that is provided as part of the limit clause.
14. MAX: MAX is a function that will return the max value from the column specified.
    
    SELECT MAX(column_name) FROM table_name;

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    SELECT MAX(column_name) FROM table_name;

    
    Output: The output will the maximum value specified in the column column_name.
15. MIN: MIN is a function that will return the min value from the column specified.
    
    SELECT MIN(column_name) FROM table_name;

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    SELECT MIN(column_name) FROM table_name;

    
    Output: The output will the minimum value specified in the column column_name.

16. OR: OR is the operator that is used for selecting the rows based on satisfaction of either condition in WHERE clause.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name = value1 OR column_name = value2;

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name = value1 OR column_name = value2;

    
    Output: Result set will contain rows where column_name value will be either value1 or value2.
17. ORDER BY: ORDER BY is used for sorting of columns in ascending or descending order numerically or in alphabetical order.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_name ORDER BY column_name ASC;

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_name ORDER BY column_name ASC;

    
    Output: On execution of the command above we will get the result set in ascending order.
18. LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN: These will combine rows from different tables even if the join condition is not met. Every row in the left/right table is returned in the result set, and if the join condition is not met, then NULL values are filled in the columns from the left/right table.
    
    SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_1 LEFT JOIN table_2 ON table_1.column_name = table_2.column_name;

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    SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_1 LEFT JOIN table_2 ON table_1.column_name = table_2.column_name;

    
    Output: Execution of the command above will result in rows from the table_1 along with rows which satisfies the condition from table_2
    
    SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_1 RIGHT JOIN table_2 ON table_1.column_name = table_2.column_name;

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    SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_1 RIGHT JOIN table_2 ON table_1.column_name = table_2.column_name;

    
    Output: Execution of the command above will result in rows from the table_2 along with rows which satisfies the condition from table_1.
19. ROUND: ROUND is a function that rounds of the number specified in the column based on the integer that is specified as part of the function.
    
    SELECT ROUND(column_name, integer) FROM table_name;

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    SELECT ROUND(column_name, integer) FROM table_name;

    
    Output: The output of the command will result in rounding up the number based on the integer that is provided as part of the function.
20. SELECT: SELECT is used to fetch the data from the data base.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_name

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_name

    
    Output: On execution of this command the result set will contain rows for column column_name.
21. SELECT DISTINCT: SELECT DISTINCT is used for retrieving distinct values from the column that is specified.
    
    SELECT DISTINCT column_name FROM table_name;

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    SELECT DISTINCT column_name FROM table_name;

    
    Output: On execution of the command above the result set will only contain the unique values from the column column_name.
22. SUM: SUM is a function will provides the total value of a column which is numeric.
    
    SELECT SUM(column_name) FROM table_name;

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    SELECT SUM(column_name) FROM table_name;

    
    Output: Execution of this command will result in the total of all the row that are part of the column column_name.
23. UPDATE: UPDATE is used for updating values of a row of a table.
    
    UPDATE table_name SET some_column = some_value WHERE some_column = some_value;

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    UPDATE table_name SET some_column = some_value WHERE some_column = some_value;

    
    Output: Execution of this command will result in updating the row that will satisfy the condition in the where clause.
24. WHERE: WHERE is used for specifying the condition that should be satisfied for selecting the row to be part of the result set.
    
    SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name operator value;

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    SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE column_name operator value;

    
    Output: The output of this command will result in the rows that are satisfying the where clause.

That’s all for a quick roundup on mostly used SQL keywords.

Reference: Oracle SQL Reserved Words List