Write a query to fetch only the first 10 records from the customers table.

Sure! Let’s walk through how to fetch the first 10 records from a table named customers, including:

1. Creating the customers table
2. Inserting sample data
3. Writing the query to fetch only the first 10 records
4. Showing expected output

Step 1: Create the customers Table

CREATE TABLE customers (
    id INT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100),
    email VARCHAR(100),
    city VARCHAR(50),
    created_at DATE
);

Step 2: Insert Dummy Data

Here’s a sample SQL INSERT statement to add 15 dummy records:

INSERT INTO customers (id, name, email, city, created_at) VALUES
(1, 'John Smith', 'john@example.com', 'New York', '2023-01-01'),
(2, 'Alice Johnson', 'alice@example.com', 'Los Angeles', '2023-01-03'),
(3, 'Bob Lee', 'bob@example.com', 'Chicago', '2023-01-05'),
(4, 'Mary Jane', 'mary@example.com', 'Houston', '2023-01-07'),
(5, 'Tom Hardy', 'tom@example.com', 'Phoenix', '2023-01-09'),
(6, 'Emma Watson', 'emma@example.com', 'Philadelphia', '2023-01-11'),
(7, 'Liam Brown', 'liam@example.com', 'San Antonio', '2023-01-13'),
(8, 'Olivia Davis', 'olivia@example.com', 'San Diego', '2023-01-15'),
(9, 'Noah Wilson', 'noah@example.com', 'Dallas', '2023-01-17'),
(10, 'Ava Martinez', 'ava@example.com', 'San Jose', '2023-01-19'),
(11, 'Ethan Miller', 'ethan@example.com', 'Austin', '2023-01-21'),
(12, 'Sophia Taylor', 'sophia@example.com', 'Jacksonville', '2023-01-23'),
(13, 'Mason Anderson', 'mason@example.com', 'Fort Worth', '2023-01-25'),
(14, 'Isabella Thomas', 'isabella@example.com', 'Columbus', '2023-01-27'),
(15, 'James Moore', 'james@example.com', 'Charlotte', '2023-01-29');

Step 3: Write the Query to Fetch First 10 Records

To fetch only the first 10 records, use the LIMIT clause:

SELECT * FROM customers
LIMIT 10;

This works in MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc.

Alternative (for SQL Server)

If you're using SQL Server, use:

SELECT TOP 10 * FROM customers;

Step 4: Expected Output

This query will return the first 10 rows (based on insert order unless explicitly sorted):

Pro Tip: Always Use ORDER BY

If you want consistent results (e.g., latest or oldest first), use:

SELECT * FROM customers
ORDER BY created_at ASC
LIMIT 10;