7 Reasons Why Developers Should Learn SQL in 2023

In 2022 the tech industry is a buzz with buzzwords like AI but if you aspire to work in data science the most essential technology you need to learn might be a language that’s almost 50 years old i.e SQL. You can pronounce it either si:kwel or sq:al, by the way, is what’s called a query language.

Learning SQL is a valuable skill for anyone interested in working with data. Whether you’re a business analyst, a data scientist, or a web developer, SQL is a powerful tool that can help you retrieve and analyze information from databases. In this blog post, we’ll explore seven reasons why you should learn SQL.

What is SQL Server?

SQL is an acronym for Structured Query Language to explain it in a simple way it works as a relational database which is in table format. It dates back to the 1970s in the context of data analysis SQL is used to query a database quickly filtering and returning only the results you are looking for based on the parameters you include in your query and even though it’s old.

SQL databases provide users to write readable code and can be easily maintained. It is a well-defined standardized language that is easily transferable between any database’s dialects which makes it more versatile compared to any other databases out there. The RDBMS standard language is SQL. It is the standard database language used by all RDBMS (Relational Database Management Systems) such as MySQL, MS Access, Oracle, and many more. They also use a variety of dialects to make it more compatible with the applications.

If you want to work in data science or even in the backend there are many companies that want a SQL developer who can proficiently work on databases. Here are 7 reasons why developers should learn SQL in 2023

Performance can be optimized by using SQL

Nowadays performance of the application matters a lot and when you break the application performance into three parts that are front-end part, the application, and the last storage which is a database.

Suppose there are possibilities where everything works just fine like the UI and the application work smoothly but when the user tries to get some data it is taking a lot of time to respond. In this scenario, the user now doesn’t care about the UI and application because the user is unable to get what he/she wants.

This happened due to ample data stored and the user needs specific data so to find that specific data, it searches in all the data, Suppose you are reading a book and you want to find some of the paragraphs regarding something, you will read or visit every single page until you find it. But if you have some reference or indexes like some mark or something to remember then it is going to be easy for you to find that paragraph.

Like this, there is indexing in SQL which can be used to point out the specific data with their unique indexes. Using indexes for search reduces the waiting time a lot and the performance of the application remain top-notch. But to use indexing, you need to have a knowledge of SQL.

Troubleshooting is easier with SQL

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a programming language that is used to manage and manipulate databases. It allows users to create, update, and query databases in an efficient and organized way. This can make it easier to troubleshoot problems because SQL provides a structured and organized way to access and manage data.

Similarly, there will be a scenario where you need to check the query and find the error, and because of simplicity, it is easy to manage the database and troubleshoot the problems that may occur in queries.

To understand it better let’s take an example: suppose you have table names students with the following columns:

Now if you want to retrieve the name and grade of all students with a grade of ‘A’. Here is how you would write query in SQL:

Select name, grade FROM students Where grade = 'A'
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Above query will return the following result:

name   | grade
----   |----
Sheldon|  A

If the result is not what you expected, you can use the SELECT statement to check the data in the students table, and the WHERE clause to narrow down the specific condition that is causing the issue.

By using the SELECT, FROM, and WHERE clauses in SQL, you can quickly troubleshoot issues with your queries and ensure that you are retrieving the correct data from your tables.

Everything isn’t handled by ORMs

ORMs can be particularly useful for working with complex, hierarchical data structures, such as those found in e-commerce websites, social networking, and other applications. But there are some edge cases where ORMs are not able to solve the issue because of their mapping state, it really hard to troubleshoot the problem when occurred.

During this time, it is quite handy if you are familiar with SQL and the core database language which can solve complex issues in a minute

You can use SQL to determine when you shouldn’t use a database

It is important to consider whether using a database is the best solution for a particular problem or task. There are some situations where using a database may not be necessary or advisable.

There are possibilities where a particular type of data validation requires the database or it can be handled by the application layer. To answer this type of question and choose the optimal solution it is necessary to know the SQL and have a good understanding of using it.

Using SQL can simplify cross-team communication 

By using SQL, teams can easily share information and collaborate on data analysis tasks, regardless of their individual technical backgrounds or expertise. Additionally, SQL provides a clear and consistent way to access and manipulate data, which can help to ensure that everyone is working with the same set of information and getting the same results.

This can be especially useful in a large or complex organization where multiple teams may be working with the same data sets. It can make it easier for communication purposes with a clear request and response to database-related issues.

A SQL skill can be very useful

Learning SQL will not benefit you only getting jobs but also clarify the core concepts of database systems, since it is an older language and still in high demand considering the many companies are using it like uber, Netflix, Airbnb, Microsoft, and many others. Honestly pretty much every company on the planet manages its databases using some kind of SQL-based system. To access and filter data quickly in any of these companies you need to have knowledge of SQL queries.

SQL is high in demand, on one of the job listing applications Indeed, and I found that SQL is most in demand than any other database language.

Learn how to use SQL relatively easily

SQL is a declarative language, which means that it is designed to be readable and easy to understand. It uses simple, English-like keywords to perform operations on a database, such as selecting data, filtering data, and sorting data. Average developers can learn SQL within a single week of the course.

Learning SQL and using is very easy compared to other database languages like MongoDB, NoSQL, and many others.

Conclusion

SQL isn’t going anywhere, year after year StackOverflow developer surveys show that data professionals report using SQL a lot in their projects. Learning and having skills in SQL will always come in handy during the development cycle.

To get started with SQL there are many platforms that have a good resources from where you can learn SQL. One of the best platforms to learn SQL free are YouTube and Google. You can get every learning possible but there is a twist not everything comes free of cost while learning from youtube or other free resources.

You should be strictly disciple and follow every part of the course and practice, most people not able to make a contract with themselves. If you are someone who is easy to get distracted can look up the paid course, because there you will get all the content structured and you need to look for other resources too.

Frequently Ask Questions – (FAQ)

Should developers learn SQL?

Learning SQL would be very beneficial since SQL is high in demand, and one of the job listing applications Indeed has a lot of jobs related to SQL programming. Apart from jobs, learning SQL will clear the core concepts of databases and helps the developer to build a solid foundation in the database journey.

Why is SQL so important?

SQL is so important in managing the huge data that is present in a structured form. Working with this data requires a lot of learning and the core concepts of any database, SQL provides and helps you to become a great asset to a particular organization.

Is learning SQL worth it in 2022?

Learning SQL is totally worth every penny. It is an important skill to have because many companies are now fully dependent on data and nowadays data is money for sure, so to store and manage the data you need some database, and SQL comes in handy.

What job uses SQL the most?

According to zippia survey, they found most job uses SQL the most are Senior Software Engineer, Software Engineer, DevOps Engineer, Data Engineer, Business Analyst, Developer, etc. SQL is powerful and famous in most Enterprises.

Should I learn SQL or Python?

Both are different field languages, SQL is a database language that helps you deal with data and manage or store them on the appropriate condition on the other hand Python is a programing language that helps in developing programs or application in daily use cases and act as the interaction between user requirement and data.