What to learn first SQLite or SQL?

Question

I will use SQLite in C ++, so I decided to study it first. But still my question is: are SQL commands very similar to SQLite or should I learn it before SQLite?

Answer 1

I would recommend learning standard SQL before the SQLite version of SQL. SQLite allows a lot (for example, automatic type conversion and incomplete GROUP BY clauses) that many databases do not allow. In addition, everything in SQLite is stored as a string, but this does not apply to other versions of SQL.

Most of your use of SQL will be the same in SQLite and standard SQL, but be aware of the pitfalls. SQLite allows you to get away with all the things that are not in standard SQL. If you start with SQLite, you will have a lot of problems moving to another database. However, if you start with a more standard SQL implementation (such as PostgreSQL or SQL Server), flushing to SQLite will be easy.

You might want to learn some of the SQLite documentation before / after / when learning standard SQL so you know the differences:

• SQL as understood by SQLite
• SQL functions that SQLite does not implement
• SQLite Features

And, since you are going to use SQLite from C ++:

• Introduction to SQLite C / C ++ Interface

I do not criticize SQLite here. SQLite is a fantastic embedded database and uses it very well. The problem is that moving from a free environment (e.g. SQLite or even MySQL) to a more rigorous one (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, ...) can be difficult and annoying. Starting with the standard (or “right”) method, some pain and suffering will probably persist.

Answer 2

You have to study them together, because to learn SQL you need the SQL engine, and SQLite is just that.

Note that SQLite does not implement the entire SQL language, but this is a great place to start learning it because of the simplicity of the library. After you are satisfied with the basics of SQL (data definition language and insert / update / select statements), you will be ready to move on to advanced concepts (transactions, triggers, etc.) and you can go on to fully manage the relational databases System, which supports the whole SQL language.