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Master in SQL: Data Cleaning

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21 views

Master in SQL: Data Cleaning

Uploaded by

bandhanadhali6011
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Master

Data Cleaning
in SQL
Data cleaning is a critical step in any data
analysis or data science project. Without proper
data cleaning, your analysis may lead to
inaccurate or misleading results.
Today we will look into -

●Essential SQL data cleaning techniques


●Practical examples to demonstrate each
concept
● Step-by-step strategies to help you clean
and prepare your data effectively
At the end, you’ll also find common interview
questions to test your knowledge and readiness
for SQL-focused roles.
Handling Missing Values
Missing values can lead to inaccurate analysis or cause
errors during joins and aggregations. SQL provides
several ways to deal with missing or null values.
Solution
Use COALESCE() or IFNULL() to replace missing values
with defaults.

Code Example:

Explanation:

● COALESCE() returns the first non-null value from a


list of arguments.
● This query replaces any NULL values in the email
column with 'unknown', ensuring data integrity.
Removing Duplicates

Duplicates in data can distort results and lead to


incorrect conclusions. SQL offers multiple ways to
identify and remove duplicates.
Solution: Use DISTINCT or ROW_NUMBER() to eliminate
duplicate rows.
Code Example:

Explanation:

● ROW_NUMBER() assigns a unique number to each row


within a partition defined by user_id.
● This query keeps only the most recent row for each
user_id, removing older duplicates.
● Useful when tracking unique users or transactions.
Standardizing Data Formats
Inconsistent data formats, especially with text, can cause
issues when performing comparisons or analysis.
Solution: Use UPPER(), LOWER(), and TRIM() to standardize
text formats.
Code Example:

Explanation:

● LOWER() converts text to lowercase, ensuring


consistent formatting.
● This is especially useful when performing
case-sensitive comparisons, avoiding mismatches
due to inconsistent capitalization.
Handling Outliers
Outliers can distort the results of your analysis, affecting
averages, totals, and other metrics. Proper handling of
outliers is crucial.
Step 1: Identifying Outliers:

Use statistical measures like AVG() and STDDEV() to


detect outliers
Code Example:

Explanation:

● This query identifies any amount values that are


more than three standard deviations above the
average.
● Such extreme values often represent outliers that can
skew your analysis.
Handling Outliers
Step 2: Removing or Capping Outliers
Use statistical measures like AVG() and STDDEV() to
detect outliers
Removing Outliers:

Capping Outliers:

Explanation:
● Removing: Deletes rows where amount exceeds the outlier
threshold.
● Capping: Limits the value of amount to a maximum value,
reducing the effect of outliers while preserving the row.
Dates-Related Data Cleaning
Dates are critical for time-based analysis.
Standardizing date formats and extracting specific
components are common tasks.
Standardizing Date Formats

Ensure all dates follow a consistent format using


functions like TO_DATE().

Explanation:

● TO_DATE() converts a variety of date formats into a


standard YYYY-MM-DD format, ensuring consistency.
Dates-Related Data Cleaning
Extracting Year, Month, or Day from Dates
Sometimes you need to break down a date into its
components for specific analyses, like grouping by
year or month.

Explanation:

● EXTRACT() pulls out individual components like year


or month from a date field.
● This is useful for time-based aggregations and
identifying trends over specific periods.
Correcting Data Entry Errors
Manual data entry often leads to errors in format,
especially in fields like phone numbers or emails. These
errors can cause issues downstream in your analysis.
Solution: Use REGEXP to detect and correct formatting
errors.
Code Example:

Explanation:

● REGEXP is a regular expression function that allows


you to match patterns.
● This query finds phone numbers that don't match the
10-digit numeric format.
● By detecting such inconsistencies early, you can
avoid analysis errors later on.
Handling Null Values in Aggregations
Null values in aggregations can cause incorrect results,
as they may be excluded from counts, sums, or averages.
Solution: Use COALESCE() or modify aggregation
functions to handle nulls.
Code Example:

Explanation:

● COALESCE() replaces NULL values with 0 before


summing the amount.
● This ensures that null values do not lead to
inaccurate totals
Removing Leading and Trailing Spaces
Extra spaces can cause comparison issues and lead to
inconsistent results, especially in text fields.
Solution: Use TRIM() to remove unnecessary whitespace.

Code Example:

Explanation:

● TRIM() removes leading and trailing spaces, ensuring


consistent and clean data for comparisons and joins.
Data Cleaning Interview Questions

1. How would you handle missing values in a dataset?


a. Discuss techniques such as using COALESCE() or
replacing nulls with averages or other default values.

2. What is the difference between removing and capping


outliers, and when would you use each?
a. Explain how removing outliers completely eliminates
them, while capping reduces their impact without
removing the data point.
3. Can you explain how you would standardize date formats in
SQL?

a. Walk through the process of using TO_DATE() or similar


functions to ensure consistency in date formats.
4. How can you remove duplicates from a dataset?

a. Discuss using DISTINCT or ROW_NUMBER() to identify


and eliminate duplicates.
5. What methods can you use to identify and correct data entry
errors, like incorrectly formatted phone numbers?
a. Explain how REGEXP can be used to identify patterns
and detect inconsistencies.
6. Why is it important to handle null values in aggregations,
and how would you do it in SQL?

a. Mention COALESCE() or handling nulls directly in


aggregate functions like SUM() or COUNT().
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