Using SQL: Creating Tables

Creating Tables The create table statement is used to create a new table. Here is the format of a simple create table statement:

create table "tablename"
("column1" "data type",
 "column2" "data type",
 "column3" "data type");

Format of create table if you were to use optional constraints:

create table "tablename"
("column1" "data type" 
         [constraint],
 "column2" "data type" 
         [constraint],
 "column3" "data type" 
        [constraint]);
 [ ] = optional

Note: You may have as many columns as you'd like, and the constraints are optional.

Example:

create table employee

(first varchar(15),
 last varchar(20),
 age number(3),
 address varchar(30),
 city varchar(20),
 state varchar(20));

To create a new table, enter the keywords create table followed by the table name, followed by an open parenthesis, followed by the first column name, followed by the data type for that column, followed by any optional constraints, and followed by a closing parenthesis. It is important to make sure you use an open parenthesis before the beginning table, and a closing parenthesis after the end of the last column definition. Make sure you seperate each column definition with a comma. All SQL statements should end with a ";".

Here are the most common Data types:

char(size) Fixed-length character 

string. Size is specified in parenthesis. Max 255 bytes. 
varchar(size) Variable-length character string. 
Max size is specified in parenthesis. 

number(size) Number value with a max number of column digits 
specified in parenthesis. 

date Date value 
number(size,d) Number value with a maximum number of digits of 
"size" total, with a maximum number of "d" digits to the right of the decimal. 

number(size,d) Number value with a maximum number of digits of "size" 
total, with a maximum number of "d" digits to the right of the decimal. 

NOTE: How to: using SQL to create tables

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