SQL SELECT Statement : SQL SELECT statement is used to select data from a database.

• The SELECT statement is used to select data from a database.
• The data returned is stored in a result table, called the result-set.

 

SELECT Syntax

SELECT column1, column2, …
FROM table_name;

Here, column1, column2, … are the field names of the table you want to select data from. If you want to select all the fields available in the table, use the following syntax:

SELECT * FROM table_name;

Demo Database

Below is a selection from the “Customers” table in the Northwind sample database:

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitución 2222	México D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taquería	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	México D.F.	05023	Mexico
4	Around the Horn	Thomas Hardy	120 Hanover Sq.	London	WA1 1DP	UK
5	Berglunds snabbköp	Christina Berglund	Berguvsvägen 8	Luleå	S-958 22	Sweden

SELECT Column Example

The following SQL statement selects the “CustomerName” and “City” columns from the “Customers” table:

Example

SELECT CustomerName, City FROM Customers;

Output

Number of Records: 26

CustomerName	City
Alfreds Futterkiste	Berlin
Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	México D.F.
Antonio Moreno Taquería	México D.F.
Around the Horn	London
Berglunds snabbköp	Luleå
Blauer See Delikatessen	Mannheim
Blondel père et fils	Strasbourg
Bólido Comidas preparadas	Madrid
Bon app’	Marseille
Bottom-Dollar Marketse	Tsawassen
B’s Beverages	London
Cactus Comidas para llevar	Buenos Aires
Centro comercial Moctezuma	México D.F.
Chop-suey Chinese	Bern
Comércio Mineiro	São Paulo
Consolidated Holdings	London
Drachenblut Delikatessend	Aachen
Du monde entier	Nantes
Eastern Connection	London
Ernst Handel	Graz
Familia Arquibaldo	São Paulo
FISSA Fabrica Inter. Salchichas S.A.	Madrid
Folies gourmandes	Lille
Folk och fä HB	Bräcke
Frankenversand	München
France restauration

SELECT * Example

The following SQL statement selects all the columns from the “Customers” table:

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers;

Output

Number of Records: 10

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitución 2222	México D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taquería	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	México D.F.	05023	Mexico
4	Around the Horn	Thomas Hardy	120 Hanover Sq.	London	WA1 1DP	UK
5	Berglunds snabbköp	Christina Berglund	Berguvsvägen 8	Luleå	S-958 22	Sweden
6	Blauer See Delikatessen	Hanna Moos	Forsterstr. 57	Mannheim	68306	Germany
7	Blondel père et fils	Frédérique Citeaux	24, place Kléber	Strasbourg	67000	France
8	Bólido Comidas preparadas	Martín Sommer	C/ Araquil, 67	Madrid	28023	Spain
9	Bon app’	Laurence Lebihans	12, rue des Bouchers	Marseille	13008	France
10	Bottom-Dollar Marketse	Elizabeth Lincoln	23 Tsawassen Blvd.	Tsawassen	T2F 8M4	Canada