Vendor agnostic, no nonsense, no fluff! This book offers a solid foundation in SQL (Structured Query Language). Intended for anyone who wants to start using SQL databases, with this book you can take that first step. This is an invaluable reference for any user of any SQL database. With this book, you will learn: * How to write SELECT statements, including sub-queries * Understand Transaction Control Commands * Select clauses: FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, HAVING, UNION, MINUS * How to Insert, Update and Delete dataFrom Oracle ACE director and the author of An Expert's Guide to Oracle Technology blog, Lewis Cunningham, this book also includes a chapter describing where to get software and documentation for 6 leading free databases: Oracle Express Edition, MySQL, Postgres, MS SQL Server Express, DB2 Express and Firebird.