Introduction to programming with T-SQL

In this lab, you’ll use get an introduction to programming using T-SQL techniques
using the adventureworks database. For your reference, the following diagram
shows the tables in the database (you may need to resize the pane to see them
clearly).

Declare variables and retrieve values

1. Start Azure Data Studio
2. From the Servers pane, double-click the AdventureWorks connection. A
green dot will appear when the connection is successful.
3. Right click on the AdventureWorks connection and select New Query. A new
query window is displayed with a connection to the AdventureWorks
database.
4. The previous step will open a query screen that is connected to the
adventureworks database.
 5. In the query pane, type the following T-SQL code:

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DECLARE @num int = 5;

SELECT @num AS mynumber;

6. Highlight the above T-SQL code and select ⏵Run.

7. This will give the result:

mynumber

8. In the query pane, type the following T-SQL code after the previous one:

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DECLARE
@num1 int,
@num2 int;

SET @num1 = 4;
SET @num2 = 6;

SELECT @num1 + @num2 AS totalnum;

9. Highlight the written T-SQL code and select ⏵Run.

10. This will give the result:

totalnum

10

11. You’ve now seen how to declare variables and how to retrieve values.

Use variables with batches

Now, we’ll look at how to declare variables in batches.

1. Right click on the TSQL connection and select New Query

2. In the query pane, type the following T-SQL code:
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DECLARE
@empname nvarchar(30),
@empid int;

SET @empid = 5;

SET @empname = (SELECT FirstName + N' ' + LastName FROM SalesLT.Customer

WHERE CustomerID = @empid)

SELECT @empname AS employee;

3. Highlight the written T-SQL code and Select ⏵Run.

4. This will give you this result:

employee

Lucy Harrington

5. Change the @empid variable’s value from 5 to 2 and execute the modified T-
SQL code you’ll get:

employee

Keith Harris

6. Now, in the code you just copied, add the batch delimiter GO before this
statement:

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SELECT @empname AS employee;

7. Make sure your T-SQL code looks like this:

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DECLARE
@empname nvarchar(30),
@empid int;

SET @empid = 5;
 SET @empname = (SELECT FirstName + N' ' + LastName FROM SalesLT.Customer
WHERE CustomerID = @empid)

GO
SELECT @empname AS employee;

8. Highlight the written T-SQL code and select ⏵Run.

9. Observe the error:

Must declare the scalar variable “@empname”.

Variables are local to the batch in which they’re defined. If you try to refer to a
variable that was defined in another batch, you get an error saying that the variable
wasn’t defined. Also, keep in mind that GO is a client command, not a server T-SQL
command.

Write basic conditional logic

1. Right click on the TSQL connection and select New Query
2. In the query pane, type the following T-SQL code:

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DECLARE
@i int = 8,
@result nvarchar(20);

IF @i < 5
SET @result = N'Less than 5'
ELSE IF @i <= 10
SET @result = N'Between 5 and 10'
ELSE if @i > 10
SET @result = N'More than 10'
ELSE
SET @result = N'Unknown';

SELECT @result AS result;

3. Highlight the written T-SQL code and select ⏵Run.

4. Which should result in:

result

Between 5 and 10

5. In the query pane, type the following T-SQL code after the previous code:
 CodeCopy

DECLARE
@i int = 8,
@result nvarchar(20);

SET @result =
CASE
WHEN @i < 5 THEN
N'Less than 5'
WHEN @i <= 10 THEN
N'Between 5 and 10'
WHEN @i > 10 THEN
N'More than 10'
ELSE
N'Unknown'
END;

SELECT @result AS result;

This code uses a CASE expression and only one SET expression to get the same result
as the previous T-SQL code. Remember to use a CASE expression when it’s a matter
of returning an expression. However, if you need to execute multiple statements, you
can’t replace IF with CASE.

1. Highlight the written T-SQL code and select ⏵Run.

2. Which should result in the same answer that we had before:

result

Between 5 and 10

Execute loops with WHILE statements

1. Right click on the TSQL connection and select New Query
2. In the query pane, type the following T-SQL code:

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DECLARE @i int = 1;

WHILE @i <= 10
BEGIN
PRINT @i;
SET @i = @i + 1;
END;
 3. Highlight the written T-SQL code and select ⏵Run.
4. This will result in:

Started executing query at Line 1

10

Return to Microsoft Learn

When you’ve finished the exercise, make sure to end the lab environment before you
complete the knowledge check in Microsoft Learn.

Challenges
Now it’s time to try using what you’ve learnt.
Tip: Try to determine the appropriate solutions for yourself. If you get stuck, suggested answers are
provided at the end of this lab.

Challenge 1: Assignment of values to variables

You are developing a new T-SQL application that needs to temporarily store values
drawn from the database, and depending on their values, display the outcome to the
user.
 1. Create your variables.
o Write a T-SQL statement to declare two variables. The first is an
nvarchar with length 30 called salesOrderNumber, and the other is an
integer called customerID.
2. Assign a value to the integer variable.
o Extend your TSQL code to assign the value 29847 to the customerID.
3. Assign a value from the database and display the result.
o Extend your TSQL to set the value of the variable salesOrderNumber
using the column salesOrderNUmber from the SalesOrderHeader
table, filter using the customerID column and the customerID variable.
Display the result to the user as OrderNumber.

Challenge 2: Aggregate product sales

The sales manager would like a list of the first 10 customers that registered and
made purchases online as part of a promotion. You’ve been asked to build the list.

1. Declare the variables:

o Write a T-SQL statement to declare three variables. The first is
called customerID and will be an Integer with an initial value of 1. The
next two variables will be called fname and lname. Both will be
NVARCHAR, give fname a length 20 and lname a length 30.
2. Construct a terminating loop:
o Extend your T-SQL code and create a WHILE loop that will stop when
the customerID variable reaches 10.
3. Select the customer first name and last name and display:
o Extend the T-SQL code, adding a SELECT statement to retrieve
the FirstName and LastName columns and assign them respectively to
fname and lname. Combine and PRINT the fname and lname. Filter
using the customerID column and the customerID variable.

Challenge Solutions
This section contains suggested solutions for the challenge queries.

Challenge 1

1. Create your variables

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 DECLARE
@salesOrderNUmber nvarchar(30),
@customerID int;

2. Assign a value to the integer variable.

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DECLARE
@salesOrderNUmber nvarchar(30),
@customerID int;

SET @customerID = 29847;

3. Assign a value from the database and display the result

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DECLARE
@salesOrderNUmber nvarchar(30),
@customerID int;

SET @customerID = 29847;

SET @salesOrderNUmber = (SELECT salesOrderNumber FROM

SalesLT.SalesOrderHeader WHERE CustomerID = @customerID)

SELECT @salesOrderNUmber as OrderNumber;

Challenge 2

The sales manager would like a list of the first 10 customers that registered and
made purchases online as part of a promotion. You’ve been asked to build the list.

1. Declare the variables:

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DECLARE @customerID AS INT = 1;

DECLARE @fname AS NVARCHAR(20);
DECLARE @lname AS NVARCHAR(30);

2. Construct a terminating loop:

 CodeCopy

DECLARE @customerID AS INT = 1;

DECLARE @fname AS NVARCHAR(20);
DECLARE @lname AS NVARCHAR(30);

WHILE @customerID <=10

BEGIN
SET @customerID += 1;
END;

3. Select the customer first name and last name and display:

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DECLARE @customerID AS INT = 1;

DECLARE @fname AS NVARCHAR(20);
DECLARE @lname AS NVARCHAR(30);

WHILE @customerID <=10

BEGIN
SELECT @fname = FirstName, @lname = LastName FROM SalesLT.Customer
WHERE CustomerID = @CustomerID;
PRINT @fname + N' ' + @lname;
SET @customerID += 1;
END;