SQL For Dummies®, 7th Edition

Chapter 7. Specifying Values

This book emphasizes the importance of database structure for maintaining database integrity. Although the significance of database structure is often overlooked, you must never forget that the most important thing is the data itself. After all, the values held in the cells that form the intersections of the database table's rows and columns are the raw materials from which you can derive meaningful relationships and trends.

You can represent values in several ways. You can represent them directly, or you can derive them with functions or expressions. This chapter describes the various kinds of values, as well as functions and expressions.

Note

Functions examine data and calculate a value based on the data. Expressions are combinations of data items that SQL evaluates to produce a single value.

Values

SQL recognizes several kinds of values:

• Row values

• Literal values

• Variables

• Special variables

• Column references

Atoms aren't indivisible either

Note

In the nineteenth century, scientists believed that an atom was the irreducible smallest possible piece of matter. That's why they named it atom, which comes from the Greek word atomos, which means indivisible. Now scientists know that atoms aren't indivisible — they're made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons, in turn, are made up of quarks, gluons, and virtual quarks. Even these things may not be indivisible. Who knows?

The value of a field in a database table is called atomic, even though many ...