Stage 1 of 9 · 8 lessons · ~2 weeks

Relational thinking and your setup

Learn what tables, keys and relationships are, install your database locally with a GUI and a command-line client, and load a realistic sample database to practise on.

Start: Tables, rows and columns

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

Do this

Install your database server locally, or in Docker, and note the version, port and admin user.
Install a GUI client and connect to your server.
Connect with the command-line client, list tables and run a script file.
Load a sample database and list its main tables and how they relate.
Write a script that creates two related tables with primary and foreign keys and inserts a few rows.
Start a Git repository for every .sql file you write in this roadmap.

Start with· follow one of these

CourseFree
CS50's Introduction to Databases with SQL
Harvard University · Beginner
Watch Lecture 0 (Querying) for the relational model; it uses SQLite, and the ideas carry straight across
GuideFree
PostgreSQL Tutorial
PostgreSQL Global Development Group · Beginner
The short official tutorial: Chapters 1 and 2 cover creating a database and your first tables

Keep handy

PostgreSQL Documentation
Read the installation and psql pages for your platform, and bookmark the SQL commands reference
roadmap.sh: SQL
A one-page map of SQL topics: use it to see where each stage of this roadmap fits

Before moving on: Your database running locally, a GUI and the command-line client both connected, a sample database loaded, and a saved script that creates two related tables with keys and a few rows.

Tauseef's advice

PostgreSQL is a great first database because it follows the SQL standard closely and has excellent documentation. Learn psql properly: \d, \dt, \i and \timing will save you hours. Keep every statement you write in a .sql file in Git from day one.