Intro to SQLfor Organizing
Module 4 · You are here

Your First Query: SELECT, FROM, LIMIT

Write the same query BigQuery has been running for you under the hood when you preview a table. Learn why backticks are non-negotiable, why commas are the unsung hero of SQL, and how DISTINCT sanity-checks a new column.

Time~20 minutes
BadgeFirst Query
DeviceDesktop recommended
ArtifactA working starter query

By the end of Module 4, you will be able to:

  • Identify the three required pieces of a basic query: SELECT, FROM, LIMIT.
  • Write a SELECT … FROM … LIMIT against a real BigQuery table.
  • Reference a table using its project.dataset.table path wrapped in backticks.
  • Use commas correctly when listing multiple columns.
  • Use DISTINCT to remove duplicate values.
  • Understand BigQuery's case-sensitivity rules : and which strings are case-sensitive.

Subsections in Module 4

4.1

Anatomy of a query

4 min

Open 4.2

Backticks, commas, case

5 min

Open 4.3

Specific columns + DISTINCT

4 min

Open 4.4

Run your first query

5 min

Open 4.5

Starter query checkpoint

3 min

Open
Start here: Module 4.1 · Anatomy of a query
Begin Module 4
After Module 4: Module 5 · Filtering and Sorting: WHERE, ORDER BY, LIMIT
Next: Module 5 · Filtering and Sorting: WHERE, ORDER BY, LIMIT