course
Complete SQL Path
A full beginner-to-capstone path through retrieval, analysis, joins, windows, safe changes, and plan reasoning.
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Who this path is for
A full beginner-to-capstone path through retrieval, analysis, joins, windows, safe changes, and plan reasoning.
Audience: New SQL learners and returning practitioners who want a complete structured path from first query to capstone analysis.
Prerequisites: No SQL prerequisite beyond basic spreadsheet or tabular-data comfort.
Observable learner outcomes
The course states outcomes as observable SQL behaviors that can be checked through local attempts, hidden variants, reviews, and projects.
- Read table schemas, keys, and row grain before writing a query.
- Write SELECT, filtering, joining, grouping, window, transaction, and plan-reading queries against original datasets.
- Use hidden variants, reviews, projects, and mistake evidence to prove transfer rather than page completion.
Estimated effort range
Estimated effort range: 30-45 hours. This is a planning range, not a fake guarantee; prior SQL experience, review spacing, and project depth change the total.
Cumulative reviews and project requirements are part of completion, so finishing the path means more than viewing lessons.
Ordered syllabus
The syllabus below is rendered server-side so the course remains useful before the app loads.
| Module | Topic | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| M00 | Workspace Orientation and First Run | 4 |
| M01 | Tables, Rows, Columns, Keys, and Grain | 6 |
| M02 | SELECT and FROM | 6 |
| M03 | Multiple Columns, Column Order, and Aliases | 6 |
| M04 | Row-Level Expressions | 6 |
| M05 | WHERE Comparisons and Precise Boundaries | 6 |
| M06 | AND, OR, NOT, and Parentheses | 6 |
| M07 | IN, BETWEEN, and Range Semantics | 6 |
| M08 | Text Matching and Normalization | 6 |
| M09 | NULL and Three-Valued Logic | 6 |
| M10 | DISTINCT, ORDER BY, LIMIT, and Stable Top-N | 6 |
| M11 | Scalar Functions, Types, and Casting | 7 |
| M12 | CASE, COALESCE, and Conditional Labels | 7 |
| M13 | Aggregate Functions and Null Semantics | 7 |
| M14 | GROUP BY and Report Grain | 7 |
| M15 | HAVING, Conditional Aggregation, and Safe Ratios | 7 |
| M16 | Keys, Relationships, Cardinality, and Join Planning | 7 |
| M17 | INNER JOIN and Qualified Columns | 7 |
| M18 | LEFT JOIN, Missing Relationships, and Zero Counts | 7 |
| M19 | Multi-Table Joins and Fact Grain | 7 |
| M20 | Fan-Out, Pre-Aggregation, Self Joins, and Non-Equi Joins | 7 |
| M21 | Scalar and Set Subqueries | 7 |
| M22 | EXISTS, NOT EXISTS, and Correlation | 7 |
| M23 | Common Table Expressions and Query Pipelines | 7 |
| M24 | Set Operations and Compatible Result Shapes | 7 |
| M25 | Dates, Timestamps, Time Zones, and Half-Open Ranges | 7 |
| M26 | Period Grouping, Complete Calendars, Cohorts, and Retention Foundations | 7 |
| M27 | Window Foundations and Ranking | 7 |
| M28 | LAG, LEAD, and Period Change | 7 |
| M29 | Running Totals, Frames, Rolling Metrics, and Percent of Total | 7 |
| M30 | Logical Processing Order, Systematic Debugging, and Data Quality | 7 |
| M31 | INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and RETURNING | 7 |
| M32 | Transactions, Constraints, and Upserts | 7 |
| M33 | EXPLAIN, Index Fundamentals, and Query Quality | 7 |
Reviews, projects, and mastery
Completion uses independent attempts, delayed review, transfer evidence, and project milestones rather than simple page views.
Cumulative reviews, project requirements, and final transfer checks are visible parts of the course contract.
The prominent Start course action opens `/app`; path-specific practice links below are secondary routes for returning learners.