SQL Is Not Just a Query Language

SQL Is Not Just a Query Language

It’s a Problem-Solving Skill

Anyone can write SELECT *.

But top engineers use SQL to find issues, spot patterns, and understand how data actually behaves.

If you want to level up, stop focusing only on syntax.

Start mastering patterns.

Core SQL Patterns You Must Know

WHERE + HAVING → Precise filtering

JOINS → Connect multiple data sources

GROUP BY → Summarize business metrics

Window Functions → Ranking, trends, comparisons

CTEs → Structure complex logic cleanly

CASE WHEN → Rule-based transformations

These are the building blocks of real SQL problem-solving.

Practice Challenges That Build Mastery

Compare daily row counts

Identify duplicate records

Detect late-arriving data

Validate staging vs production tables

Rank events to find first / last activity

Build rollups (daily → weekly → monthly)

Do these consistently, and SQL intuition develops naturally.