Mastering SQL for Oracle Fusion HCM – Chapter 1 : What is SQL?

 

✅ Chapter 1. What is SQL?

What is SQL? – SQL for Oracle Fusion HCM

Learn the basics of SQL and how it's used in Oracle Fusion HCM. A beginner-friendly guide with examples and real-time HCM scenarios.

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🔹 Introduction

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language for accessing and managing data in relational databases like Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL. In the world of Oracle Fusion HCM, SQL becomes essential for querying data related to employees, jobs, payroll, and more.

Whether you're creating custom reports in BI Publisher, fetching data for HCM Extracts, or validating data before HDL loads, SQL is a fundamental skill every Fusion HCM professional must master.

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🔹 Theoretical Concepts

👉 What is SQL?

SQL is a declarative language used to:

• Retrieve data (SELECT)

• Insert new records (INSERT)

• Update existing records (UPDATE)

• Delete records (DELETE)

• Create or alter structures (CREATE, ALTER)

👉 Key SQL Operations

Operation	Description	Example Use in HCM
SELECT	Read data	Get list of employees
WHERE	Filter data	Filter active employees
JOIN	Combine tables	Combine employee and assignment info
GROUP BY	Aggregate data	Count of employees per department

🔹 SQL Syntax and Examples

📌 Basic SQL Query Structure:

SELECT column1,
       column2
FROM   table_name
WHERE  CONDITION 

🔍 Example: Fetch Full Names of Employees

SELECT person_number,
       full_name
FROM   per_all_people_f
WHERE  effective_end_date > SYSDATE 

💡 per_all_people_f is a core table in Fusion HCM that stores person data.

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🔹 Real-Time Scenario (Fusion HCM Use Case)

🧾 Scenario:

“You are building a BI Publisher report to display active employees in the system. You need to fetch only the people whose records are active as of today.”

✅ Real-Time SQL Query:

SELECT person_number,
       full_name,
       email_address
FROM   per_all_people_f
WHERE  TRUNC(SYSDATE) BETWEEN effective_start_date AND effective_end_date 

Explanation:

• TRUNC(SYSDATE) ensures the current date is compared without time.

• effective_start_date and effective_end_date are key in filtering current records in Fusion HCM.

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🔹 Best Practices and Notes

• Always filter with effective dates in Fusion.

• Avoid SELECT * in production—only query required fields.

• Use aliases to improve readability.

• Be cautious with null values in joins or filters.

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🔹 Summary

✅ SQL is a powerful language to interact with Oracle Fusion HCM data.
✅ It allows you to create custom reports, validate HDL data, and troubleshoot extract results.
✅ per_all_people_f is one of the most used tables.
✅ Real-time scenarios often involve date filters and joins.
✅ Mastering SQL is the first step toward becoming a reporting or integration expert in Fusion HCM.

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🔹 Next Steps

• Previous Chapter: This is the first chapter

• Next Chapter:  Mastering SQL for Oracle Fusion HCM – Chapter 2 : Oracle Fusion HCM Architecture

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Tags: #SQLBasics, #OracleFusionHCM, #SQLForBeginners, #EmployeeData, #HCMReporting