SQL Syntax Basics

SQL syntax is unique but easy to read (it reads like English).

Key Rules

1. Case Insensitivity: SQL keywords (SELECT, FROM, WHERE) are not case-sensitive. select is the same as SELECT. However, it is a best practice to write keywords in UPPERCASE to distinguish them from table and column names.
2. Semicolons: Some database systems require a semicolon ; at the end of each SQL statement. It is the standard way to separate commands.

Comments

Comments are text that is ignored by the database engine.

• Single-line comment: Starts with --
• Multi-line comment: Starts with /* and ends with */

-- This is a single-line comment
SELECT * FROM Users; -- Select all users

/*
This is a multi-line comment.
It can span multiple lines.
*/
SELECT name FROM Users;