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Functions for Manipulating Data in SQL Server

IntermediateSkill Level

4.9+

Updated 03/2026

Learn the most important functions for manipulating, processing, and transforming data in SQL Server.

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SQLData Manipulation4 hr14 videos54 Exercises4,600 XP24,155Statement of Accomplishment

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Course Description

In this course, you will learn how to make use of the most important functions for manipulating data provided by SQL Server. You can use these functions for processing and transforming data to get the results you want.

Prerequisites

Time Series Analysis in SQL Server

1

Choosing the appropriate data type

In this chapter, you will learn what are the most used data types in SQL Server. You will understand the differences between implicit and explicit conversion and how each type of conversion manifests. You will also get familiar with the functions used for explicitly converting data: CAST() and CONVERT().

Welcome to this course!

Working with different types of data

Storing dates in a database

Types of character strings

Implicit conversion

Implicit conversion between data types

Data type precedence

Explicit conversion

CASTing data

CONVERTing data

Working with the correct data types

2

Manipulating time

Date and time functions are an important topic for databases. In this chapter, you will get familiar with the most common functions for date and time manipulation. You will learn how to retrieve the current date, only parts from a date, to assemble a date from pieces and to check if an expression is a valid date or not.

Functions that return system date and time

Get the know the system date and time functions

Selecting parts of the system's date and time

Functions returning date and time parts

Extracting parts from a date

Generating descriptive date parts

Presenting parts of a date

Creating a date from parts

Performing arithmetic operations on dates

Arithmetic operations with dates

Modifying the value of a date

Calculating the difference between dates

Validating if an expression is a date

Changing the date format

Changing the default language

Correctly applying different date functions

3

Working With Strings

Strings are one of the most commonly used data types in databases. It's important to know what you can do with them. In this chapter, you will learn how to manipulate strings, to get the results you want.

Functions for positions

Calculating the length of a string

Looking for a string within a string

Looking for a pattern within a string

Functions for string transformation

Changing to lowercase and uppercase

Using the beginning or end of a string

Extracting a substring

Replacing parts of a string

Functions manipulating groups of strings

Concatenating data

Aggregating strings

Splitting a string into pieces

Applying various string functions on data

4

Recognizing Numeric Data Properties

In this chapter, you will work with functions applied to numeric data. You will use aggregate functions for calculating the minimum, maximum or the sum of values from a set. You will learn how to raise a number to a power or to calculate its square root.

Aggregate arithmetic functions

Learning how to count and add

MINimizing and MAXimizing some results

Analytic functions

Accessing values from the next row

Accessing values from the previous row

Getting the first and last value

Mathematical functions

Extracting the sign and the absolute value

Rounding numbers

Working with exponential functions

Manipulating numeric data

Wrapping things up

Functions for Manipulating Data in SQL Server

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FAQs

What categories of SQL Server functions does this course cover?

You will learn functions for data type conversion, date and time manipulation, string operations, and system-level functions for processing and transforming data in SQL Server.

Does this course cover the CAST and CONVERT functions?

Yes. The first chapter teaches implicit versus explicit conversion and how to use CAST and CONVERT functions to change data types in SQL Server.

Will I learn to work with date functions in SQL Server?

Yes. An entire chapter is dedicated to date and time manipulation, including retrieving the current date, extracting date parts, assembling dates from pieces, and validating date expressions.

What SQL Server experience do I need before starting?

You should complete Introduction to SQL Server, Intermediate SQL Server, and Time Series Analysis in SQL Server before enrolling in this course.

How many exercises are included in this course?

The course contains 54 exercises across 4 chapters, with an estimated completion time of 240 minutes and a median learner time of about 3.6 hours.

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