Beginning SQL

Chapter 3
2. Using the following SQL, query the database to produce a list of all the films released in the
1980s that have a rating between 2 and 4 and are available on DVD. The answer should detail
the film name, date of release, rating, and availability on DVD.
SELECT FilmName, YearReleased, Rating, AvailableOnDVD
FROM Films
WHERE ( YearReleased BETWEEN 1980 AND 1989 )
AND
( Rating BETWEEN 2 AND 4 )
AND
( AvailableOnDVD = ‘Y’ );
3. Query the database to produce a list of films of any decade except the 1960s whose names are
between P and T. The answer should detail the film names. Use the following SQL to execute
the query:
SELECT FilmName
FROM Films
WHERE ( YearReleased NOT BETWEEN 1960 AND 1969 )
AND
( FilmName BETWEEN ‘P’ AND ‘T’ );
How It Works
68
You begin by inserting five new films into the Films table using INSERT INTO statements. Remember to
commit the data if you’re using Oracle using the COMMIT command, unless you’ve already set the autocommit
to on.
The SELECT clause of the first query is fairly straightforward. It simply asks the database to select
FilmName, YearReleased, Rating, and AvailableOnDVD from the Films database.
SELECT FilmName, YearReleased, Rating, AvailableOnDVD
FROM Films
Next comes the query’s WHERE clause. First, it requires that the film be from the 1980s, and therefore it
requires a range between 1980 and 1989. The BETWEEN operator is ideal for such a requirement:
WHERE YearReleased BETWEEN 1980 AND 1989
The next requirement is that the film must have a rating between 2 and 4. Again, a BETWEEN operator is
the obvious choice. Because both conditions (YearReleased and Rating) must be true, an AND operator is
required to link the two:
WHERE ( YearReleased BETWEEN 1980 AND 1989 )
AND
( Rating BETWEEN 2 AND 4 )
Notice that each condition appears inside brackets. Using brackets is not strictly necessary, but it does
make things more readable: Brackets make it clear that an AND operator joins two unrelated conditions.