So you’re ready to write some software? Or test some cool stuff. Or build something awesome. You can use the CREATE DATABASE statement to get started, by creating a database. To do so is pretty easy, simply run that statement followed by a name for the database (called Customers):
CREATE DATABASE Customers;
Once you’ve created a database, it’s time to create tables, which can be done using the CREATE TABLE statement. The Syntax of that statement looks something like this, defining a set of columns, their data type and the size of the column (in the form of a maximum length), all wrapped in parenthesis with each column separated by a comma:
CREATE TABLE nameoftable
(
column datatype(size),
column datatype(size),
);
So to create the Customers table that we’ve been using through these articles, we’ll use the following SQL Statement:
CREATE TABLE Customers
(
ID integer(255),
Site varchar(255),
Contact varchar(255),
Address varchar(255),
City varchar(255),
Zip integer(255),
Country varchar(255),
);
Columns are created with data types. In the previous example, we named columns of integers and varchars. The available data types include the following:
- CHARACTER: A string of characters using a defined length
- VARCHAR: A variable length string of characters using a maximum length
- BINARY: A binary string
- BOOLEAN: TRUE or FALSE
- VARBINARY: Binary string in a variable length, with a defined maximum length
- INTEGER: A number with no decimals
- SMALLINT: A 5 digit or less number with no decimals
- BIGINT: A 19 digit or less number with no decimals
- DECIMAL: Number with decimals
- FLOAT: Floating number in base 10
- REAL: Number
- DOUBLEPRECISION: Approximate number
- DATE: Year, month, and day in separated values
- TIME: Hour, minute, and second in separated values
- TIMESTAMP: Time in the form of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second
- INTERVAL: A period of time
- ARRAY: Ordered collection of data
- MULTISITE: Unordered collection of data
- XML: Stores XML