Advanced SQL: Window Functions, CTEs, and Optimization

Advanced SQL: Window Functions, CTEs, and Optimization is a practical course for analysts, data professionals, and developers who want to move beyond basic queries and work confidently with complex Data problems. You will learn how to write analytical SQL that is clearer, faster, and ready for real production data work.

Build Faster Analytical SQL For Real Data Work

• Apply window functions to ranking, rolling metrics, period-over-period analysis, cohorts, funnels, and retention reporting.
• Use CTEs to break complex business logic into readable, maintainable query layers.
• Read execution plans, choose indexing strategies, and optimize joins, filters, and aggregations with less guesswork.
• Complete an applied capstone project where you build and tune an analytical reporting query from start to finish.

Learn advanced SQL techniques for analyzing Data with window functions, CTEs, recursive queries, and performance optimization.

This course starts by strengthening your advanced querying mindset, including how SQL processes queries and how to design reliable analytical results. From there, you will work deeply with window functions, learning how PARTITION BY, ORDER BY, frames, ranking functions, LAG, LEAD, running totals, moving averages, and rolling metrics help answer real Data questions without messy workarounds.

You will also learn advanced analytical patterns used in production reporting, including gaps and islands, sessionization, cohort analysis, retention analysis, and funnel analysis. These lessons help you translate business questions into SQL that is easier to explain, test, and maintain.

The course then focuses on Common Table Expressions, showing how CTEs can improve clarity, decompose complex logic, support recursive hierarchy and path queries, and sometimes affect performance. You will learn when CTEs make SQL easier to manage and when they may create optimization tradeoffs.

In the optimization section, you will practice reading execution plans, improving indexing strategies, and refactoring slow queries into maintainable SQL. By the end of Advanced SQL: Window Functions, CTEs, and Optimization, you will be able to approach complex Data work with more structure, produce clearer analytical SQL, and tune queries for practical production use.