SQL Statement Structure
Syntax
The following diagram indicates the basic structure of an SQL statement.
where:
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This syntax element … |
Specifies … |
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statement_keyword |
the name of the statement. |
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expressions |
literals, name references, or operations using names and literals. |
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functions |
the name of a function and its arguments, if any. |
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keywords |
special values introducing clauses or phrases or representing special objects, such as NULL. Most keywords are reserved words and cannot be used in names. |
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clauses |
subordinate statement qualifiers. |
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phrases |
data attribute phrases. |
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; |
the Teradata SQL statement separator and request terminator. The semicolon separates statements in a multi-statement request and terminates a request when it is the last nonblank character on an input line in BTEQ. The request terminator is required for a request defined in the body of a macro. For the distinction between statement and request, see “SQL Statements and SQL Requests” on page 190. |
Typical SQL Statement
A typical SQL statement consists of a statement keyword, one or more column names, a database name, a table name, and one or more optional clauses introduced by keywords. For example, in the following single-statement request, the statement keyword is SELECT:
SELECT deptno, name, salary
FROM personnel.employee
WHERE deptno IN(100, 500)
ORDER BY deptno, name ;
The select list for this statement is made up of object names:
The search condition, or WHERE clause, is introduced by the keyword WHERE.
WHERE deptno IN(100, 500)
The sort order, or ORDER BY, clause is introduced by the keywords ORDER BY.
ORDER BY deptno, name
Related Topics
The pages that follow provide details on the elements that appear in an SQL statement.
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For more information on … |
See … |
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statement_keyword |
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keywords |
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object names |
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expressions |
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functions |
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separators |
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terminators |