SQL Zero → Hero (SQL Server Edition)

A self-paced, hands-on course to take you from zero to hero in T-SQL on Microsoft SQL Server, using a custom practice database called TechShop.

How this repo works

File / Folder	Purpose
COURSE.md	The full curriculum. 24 modules, ordered beginner → advanced. Your main study guide.
MILESTONES.md	Progress tracker. Check off modules as you complete them. Updated as we go.
SESSION.md	Session restore file. When you say "end session", I snapshot where we are here so we resume instantly next time.
database/	SQL scripts to build the TechShop practice database and load data.
exercises/	Practice questions and solution scripts per module.
notes/	Your personal cheat-sheets and takeaways (added as we progress).

First-time setup (run once)

Run these scripts in order in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio against your local instance:

1. database/01_create_database.sql — creates the TechShop database
2. database/02_create_tables.sql — creates all tables + relationships
3. database/03_seed_data.sql — loads realistic sample data
4. database/05_generate_large_data.sql — (optional, for the performance/index modules) inflates the data to ~500k+ rows so execution plans and indexes actually matter

Do not run 04_indexes.sql yet — that script belongs to Module 18 and we add indexes deliberately so you can see the before/after difference in query plans.

How to study

1. Open COURSE.md, find your current module.
2. Read the concepts, run the example queries against TechShop.
3. Do the exercises in exercises/.
4. Tick the box in MILESTONES.md.
5. When you stop for the day, say "end session" and I'll update SESSION.md.

Curated external resources

• Microsoft Learn – SQL Server docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/
• Use The Index, Luke (the best free guide to indexing & SQL performance): https://use-the-index-luke.com/
• Brent Ozar (SQL Server performance blog + free tools): https://www.brentozar.com/
• SQLServerCentral (community, stairways series): https://www.sqlservercentral.com/
• Itzik Ben-Gan – T-SQL Fundamentals / Querying (books, gold standard)
• StatQuest / Microsoft Learn learning paths for structured video/interactive learning

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Start at COURSE.md → Module 0.