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SQL is a popular programming language for managing and organizing data in relational databases. If you are a software developer attending a technical interview, you will almost certainly be asked basic and advanced SQL interview questions at various stages of the interview. We've compiled this list of advanced SQL interview questions to help you prepare for your upcoming technical interview. Understanding the answers to these questions is essential for acing software engineering and programming interviews.
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Let’s go ahead and look at some advanced SQL interview questions and answers. We’ll also look at some FAQs to help you prepare for your upcoming SQL developer interview.
Here’s what we’ll discuss in this article:
In this section, we’ll look at some popular advanced SQL interview questions and answers. We’ll also look at some additional practice SQL interview questions to help you prepare for your upcoming technical interview.
Indexes in SQL are used to help retrieve data smoothly and efficiently. There are three main types of indexes in SQL - Unique, Clustered, and Non-Clustered. In SQL, tables can have many non-clustered indexes but only one clustered index.
If data is overloaded, you’re ideally required to apply a soft link. A soft link lets you store .idb and .frm files and retrieve them whenever necessary.
This is one of the most common advanced SQL interview questions asked in technical interviews. Auto Increment is a command through which a unique number is generated immediately when a new record is entered into a table.
The command used to select a unique entry from the table is - “distinct.”
There are mainly two types of variables in SQL - Local and Global. Local variables are those that exist in a single function. Global variables exist in multiple functions and can be present throughout the program.
The Recursive Stored Procedure is a common procedure through which developers can use the same code snippet multiple times in a program. Through this procedure, code snippets call themselves until a specific boundary condition is reached.
The NVL() function in SQL is essentially used to replace null entries with default values. If the first parameter has a null value, the function returns the next parameter. This is a function that is specific to Oracle databases.
The Unique Constraint in SQL ensures that every value in a particular record is unique. It prevents identical or similar values in a column from appearing in two different records.
This is a common SQL interview question asked in technical interviews.
SQL Sandbox is an environment within the SQL databases where untested programs can be tested and run. There are primarily three types of SQL Sandboxes:
In this section, we’ll look at some additional Advanced SQL interview questions that often appear in technical interviews.
As a developer, your knowledge of SQL is extensively tested in technical interviews. These 30 advanced SQL interview questions will help you prepare for your upcoming software engineering interview.
Q1. What type of advanced SQL interview questions are asked in technical interviews?
Advanced SQL interview questions in technical interviews are fundamentally around core SQL concepts such as keys, parameters, functions, stored procedures, commands, and writing queries to manage, organize, and retrieve data from databases.
Q2. Is your knowledge of SQL tested in coding and design interviews at FAANG+ companies?
Your knowledge of SQL is primarily tested in systems design interviews at FAANG+ companies. Design interviews are a key part of the technical interview process.
Q3. What do you understand about SQL Limit?
The SQL Limit is a feature in SQL that limits the number of entries or records returned from a Query. This helps in the consistency and seamless retrieval of information from the database.
Q4. Which are the different types of user-defined functions in SQL?
There are three main types of user-defined functions in SQL - Inline Table-Valued Functions, Multi-Statement Valued Functions, and Scalar Functions.
Q5. What are your main responsibilities as an SQL developer?
As an SQL developer, you’re responsible for how data is managed and stored in relational databases. You’ll work closely with database administrators to ensure that the database is secure, responsive, and functions flawlessly.
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