A new ILO course has just been added. This one is an SQL workshop that is spread over 4 half-days in two weeks. ILO courses are the IBM courses that you take without traveling by joining a remote instructor via your computer.

Here are some details:

SQL Workshop - Multi Week Instructor Led Online

On completion of this course, you should be able to:

* Code SQL statements to retrieve data from a DB2 or Informix table, including the SELECT, FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING and ORDER BY clauses* Code inner joins and non-correlated subqueries* Use SQL arithmetic operations* Use scalar and column functions* Use UNION and UNION ALL* INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE rows* Code simple CREATE TABLE and CREATE VIEW statements

The DB2 books that you may wish to have to complement this course are:

* Understanding DB2(R): Learning Visually with Examples (2nd Edition)* DB2 9 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows: DBA Guide, Reference, and Exam Prep (6th Edition)

If you are interested in passing the DB2 9 Family Fundamentals certification exam (Test 730), you should notice that about 23% of the exam covers SQL knowledge. The book DB2 9 Fundamentals Certification Study Guide by Roger Sanders corresponds to the exam objectives and therefore covers the SQL that you need to pass the exam.

An interesting way to get a start on learning SQL is through the DB2 Games. Here are some details that I found on Kate Dawson's blog:

If you are a beginner, choose the IBM DB2 Detective GameIf you like watching crime investigation shows, this might just be the perfect game for you. Using a crime investigation theme, you will enforce your DB2 9 and SQL skills while learning relational database concepts and how they can be applied to real-life problems. I’ve played this game and highly recommend it.

If you have some existing DB2 skills, choose the IBM DB2 Business GameTry a “run your own business” scenario and put your DB2 and SQL skills to the test with the Business Game. Your company’s future depends on a key report needed to secure funds for a critical upgrade… can you put your DB2 skills into action and beat the game? Play now and find out.

Whenever I ask people who are SQL experts, they tell me that they rely heavily on these books:

* Graeme Birchall's DB2 SQL Cookbook* The SQL Reference for Cross-Platform Development* Product Docs for DB2 LUW* Product Docs for DB2 z/OS

When at conferences, I've noticed that the following books are popular:* Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming Third Edition* SQL Demystified* SQL: The Complete Reference, Second Edition* SQL In A Nutshell, 2nd Edition* SQL Queries for Mere Mortals(R): A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL (2nd Edition)* SQL Pocket Guide

In writing this blog I realize how many resources are available for SQL. Clearly that means that it is a very important topic.... and one that you can continue to improve in.

Enjoy!

Susan