Database Fundamentals/Tables and Data Types

This lesson introduces tables and data types.

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for the tables and data types portion of Microsoft Exam 98-364 Database Fundamentals include:^[1]

Create database objects
- Understand tables and how to create them
  - Purpose of tables; create tables in a database by using proper ANSI SQL syntax
- Choose data types
  - Understand what data types are, why they are important, and how they affect storage requirements

Create a new sample database.
Create a new database:
- Watch YouTube: How to Create MS SQL Database Using SQL Server Management Studio.
- Read [1] Microsoft: SQL Server Create a Database].
- Create a new sample database called College using SQL Server Management Studio.
Create tables in sample database:
- Watch YouTube: SQL Server 2014 How to Create Tables.
- Read Microsoft: Create Tables Using SQL Server Management Studio (Database Engine).
- Read W3CSchools.com: SQL General Data Types.
- Create three tables using SQL Server Management Studio named Student, Course and Instructor.
- Add three fields (columns) into each table with applicable data types of your choice.
  - For example: Course table could include the CourseID, Description, CreditHours fields. CourseID is the primary key.
  - Student table could include the StudentID, StudentFirstName, StudentLastName fields. StudentID is the primary key.
  - Instructor table could include the InstructorID, InstructorFirstName, InstructorLastName, Department. InstructorID is the primary key.
- For each table, insert three or five records. In the Student table, insert a student record with your first name and last name.
- Practice displaying and examining the database tables, columns and data.

Each column in an SQL table declares the data type(s) that column may contain.^[2]
A table is a collection of related data held in a structured format within a database. It consists of fields (columns), and rows.^[3]