20761C: Querying Data with Transact-SQL 2016 — Lesson 2: Joins, Set Operations, and Built-In Functions

Learning Objectives

• Use inner, outer, cross, and self joins
• Combine results with UNION, INTERSECT, and EXCEPT
• Apply string, date, conversion, logical, and metadata functions

Detailed Topics

• Use inner: Use inner, outer, cross, and self joins
• Combine results with UNION: Combine results with UNION, INTERSECT, and EXCEPT
• Apply string: Apply string, date, conversion, logical, and metadata functions

Guided Demonstration

1. Review the requirement, environment, dependencies, roles, risks, and expected outcome.
2. Demonstrate the relevant configuration, analysis, code, or administration workflow step by step.
3. Capture settings, outputs, logs, screenshots, calculations, or test evidence.
4. Compare the observed result with the stated acceptance criteria.

Hands-On Activity

Create a multi-table reporting query with tested edge cases.

• Document assumptions and the planned sequence before making changes.
• Complete the activity and preserve evidence of normal and exception behavior.
• Record issues, corrective actions, and reusable operational or development notes.

Troubleshooting Focus

• Separate symptoms from causes and collect evidence before applying a fix.
• Check configuration, permissions, data, dependencies, capacity, connectivity, and recent changes.
• Validate rollback, recovery, support ownership, and user or business impact.

Validation Checklist

• The requirement and expected outcome are clear.
• The selected configuration, design, query, code, or process is documented.
• Normal, boundary, failure, security, and operational conditions are reviewed.
• The result is supported by evidence and the next improvement is prioritized.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can explain and apply Joins, Set Operations, and Built-In Functions in a realistic scenario and validate the result with documented evidence.