SQL and Analytics

Throughout this chapter, you have learned about different techniques used in data analytics. All these analytics techniques inevitably lead to the storage and processing of massive data. While there are many tools in today's market that can help you with these tasks, a relational database is the most important one.

A relational database is a convenient and easy-to-understand way to store datasets. Modern relational database management systems, such as PostgreSQL databases, also provide a powerful tool for processing and analyzing data, which is SQL. Using SQL, you can clean data, transform data into more useful formats, and analyze data with statistics to find interesting patterns. The rest of this book will be dedicated to understanding how you can use SQL for these purposes productively and efficiently.