If you use a graphical front-end tool instead of Interactive SQL to query your database, the tool may allow you to view the SQL syntax it generates. For example, in InfoMaker, you can view SQL statements by choosing the SQL Syntax button on the Table painter bar.
This tutorial introduces the SELECT statement used to retrieve information from databases. SELECT statements are commonly called queries, because they ask the database server about information in a database.
The SELECT statement is a versatile
command. SELECT statements can become highly
complex in applications retrieving very specific information from
large databases. This tutorial uses only simple SELECT statements:
later tutorials describe more advanced queries. For more information
about the full syntax of the select statement, see the SELECT
statement in Chapter
1, “SQL Statements,” in Reference: Statements and Options.
Ideally, you should be running Sybase IQ software on your computer while you read and work through the tutorial lessons.
This tutorial assumes that you have already started Interactive SQL and connected to the sample database. If you have not already done so, see Chapter 2, “Using Interactive SQL (dbisql)” in the Utility Guide.
