SQL & Databases Roadmap
SQL is one of the fastest high-return skills to learn. This roadmap takes you from your first SELECT query to database design, analytics, and production database management.
Phase 1: Phase 1 — SQL Fundamentals
SELECT & WHERE
Retrieve data from tables with filters, sorting, and limiting results.
Aggregations
COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, and GROUP BY for summarizing data.
JOINs
Combine data from multiple tables with INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, and FULL JOINs.
Subqueries & CTEs
Write nested queries and Common Table Expressions for complex analysis.
Phase 2: Phase 2 — Advanced SQL
Window Functions
ROW_NUMBER, RANK, LEAD, LAG, and running totals for analytical queries.
Date & Time Functions
Work with timestamps, date arithmetic, and time-based analysis.
String Manipulation
CONCAT, SUBSTRING, REGEXP, and transforming text data in SQL.
Phase 3: Phase 3 — Database Design
Normalization
1NF, 2NF, 3NF — design schemas that minimize redundancy and anomalies.
Indexes
Speed up queries with the right indexes. Understand query execution plans.
Transactions & ACID
Ensure data consistency with transactions, rollbacks, and isolation levels.
Phase 4: Phase 4 — Real-World Application
PostgreSQL
The most feature-rich open-source database — JSON support, full-text search, extensions.
SQL in Python
Use SQLAlchemy or psycopg2 to query databases from Python scripts.
Analytics Projects
Build 2 end-to-end data analysis projects using real-world datasets.