Querying and filtering data

Once you have created and designed your database, you will likely want to search and filter your data to extract specific information. In a no-code context, you can use Structured Query Language (SQL) to create simple and complex queries to search and filter your data.

SQL is a programming language that is specifically designed for managing and querying relational databases. It is a standard language that is used by many database management systems (DBMS) and is relatively easy to learn, even if you have no prior coding experience.

To create a simple query using SQL, you can use the SELECT, FROM, and WHERE clauses. The SELECT clause specifies the fields that you want to retrieve, the FROM clause specifies the table that you want to retrieve the data from, and the WHERE clause specifies the conditions that the data must meet.

Here's an example of a simple SQL query to retrieve all of the records from the customer table where the state is "California":

  
    SELECT * FROM customer WHERE state = "California"
  

‍

This query would return all of the fields (indicated by the asterisk) from the customer table where the state field is "California".

To create a more complex query, you can use additional clauses, such as GROUP BY, HAVING, and ORDER BY. The GROUP BY clause allows you to group the results by a specific field, the HAVING clause allows you to specify conditions for the grouped results, and the ORDER BY clause allows you to sort the results in ascending or descending order.

Here's an example of a more complex SQL query to retrieve the average total order amount for each customer:

‍

  
    SELECT customer.name, AVG(order.total)
    FROM customer
    JOIN order ON customer.id = order.customer_id
    GROUP BY customer.name
  

This query would return the customer's name and the average total order amount for each customer, by joining the customer and order tables using the customer's ID and grouping the results by customer name.

In a no-code context, you can use a tool like Noloco or Airtable to create and run SQL queries without writing any code. These tools provide a user-friendly interface that allows you to select the fields and tables that you want to query and specify the conditions that the data must meet. You can also use the built-in sorting and filtering tools to further refine your results.

To query and filter your data using Noloco or Airtable, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the table that you want to query.
2. Click on the "Filter" button.
3. Select the field that you want to filter by and specify the conditions that the data must meet.
4. Click on the "Add filter" button to add additional filters or the "Apply" button to view the results.
5. Use the sorting and grouping options to further refine your results.

‍

By using SQL queries and the built-in filtering and sorting tools, you can easily search and filter your data to extract the specific information that you need.

‍