SQL Views
Chapter 7 p. 260 -274 in
Kroenke textbook
SQL Views
SQL view is a virtual table that is constructed from other
tables or views
It has no data of its own, but obtains data from tables or
other views
It only has a definition
SELECT statements are used to define views
A view definition may not include an ORDER BY clause
Views can be used as regular tables in SELECT
statements
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CREATE VIEW Command
CREATE VIEW command:
CREATE VIEW view_name
AS
select_statement
Use the view:
In SELECT statements
Sometimes in INSERT statements
Sometimes in UPDATE statements
Sometimes in DELETE statements
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CREATE VIEW Command
CREATE VIEW
command:
CREATE VIEW CustomerNameView
AS
SELECT CustName AS
CustomerName
FROM CUSTOMER;
To use the view:
SELECT *
FROM CustomerNameView
ORDER BY CustomerName;
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Uses for SQL Views
Security: hide columns and rows
Display results of computations
Hide complicated SQL syntax
Provide a level of isolation between actual
data and the user’s view of data
three-tier architecture
Assign different processing permissions to
different views on same table
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Security: hide columns and rows
MIDS database, Midshipmen table
View for faculty – all mids with IT major
View for students – all mids, no grades
Midshipmen (Alpha, Name, DateOfBirth, GPA,
Major)
Exercise: Write the SQL to create the views
SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE?
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Display results of computations
Faculty (EmpID, LName, FName, Department,
AreaCode, LocalPhone)
Create a view to display 2 columns:
Name = Fname LName
Phone = (AreaCode) LocalPhone
SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE?
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Hide complicated SQL syntax
Mid(Alpha, LName, FName, Class, Age)
Course(CourseID, Description, Textbook)
Enroll(Alpha, CourseID, Semester, Grade)
Create a view to display the student alpha,
name, CourseID and description of courses they
are/were enrolled
SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE?
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Provide a level of isolation between
actual data and application
CREATE VIEW CustomerV AS
SELECT *
FROM Customers
Applications use CustomerV
Can change the underlying table without
changing the application
ALTER VIEW CustomerV AS
SELECT *
FROM New_Customers
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Updating Views
CREATE VIEW CustomerV AS
SELECT *
FROM Customers
SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE?
CREATE VIEW FacultyPhone AS
SELECT FName + ‘ ’ + LName AS Name,
‘(’ + AreaCode + ‘)’ + LocalPhone AS Phone
FROM Faculty
Works?
UPDATE FacultyPhone
SET Phone = ‘(410)-266-7788’
WHERE Name=‘Steven Benett’
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Updateable Views
Views based on a single table
No computed columns
All non-null columns present in view
Views based on a single table, primary key in
view, some non-null columns missing from view
Updates for non-computed columns ok
Deletes ok
Inserts not ok
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Summary – SQL Views
CREATE VIEW view_name
AS
select_statement
Virtual table
It only has a definition
Data is computed at run-time from base tables
All views can be used in SELECT
Some views can be used in INSERT, DELETE,
UPDATE
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