SQL SELECT Statement
The SELECT statement is used to fetch data from a database table.
The SELECT Statement
The SELECT statement is the most common SQL statement. It retrieves rows from one or more tables.
Syntax
Syntax
SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name;
Select All Columns
Use * to select all columns from a table:
Example — Select all
SELECT * FROM customers;
Select Specific Columns
Name the columns you want to retrieve:
Example — Specific columns
SELECT name, city FROM customers;
SELECT DISTINCT
The SELECT DISTINCT statement returns only unique (different) values:
Example — Distinct countries
SELECT DISTINCT country FROM customers;
Column Aliases with AS
Use AS to give a column a temporary, readable name in the result:
Example — Column alias
SELECT name AS customer_name, city AS location
FROM customers;
✅ Best Practice
Always specify the columns you need rather than using
SELECT * in production queries. It makes your code clearer and faster.