CRUD Operations 5: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Real-World Impact

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Are you new to SQL and wondering what CRUD Operations really mean? If you have ever interacted with a banking application maybe checking your balance, transferring money, or opening a new account you have unknowingly performed CRUD Operations. These four simple actions Create, Read, Update, and Delete form the backbone of every database driven system, including complex industries like banking.

In this blog post, we will break down CRUD Operation in SQL using human friendly language, show you the syntax, and explain how it all ties back to real life banking operations.

What is CRUD Opearations in SQL?

CRUD stands for:

  • C – Create (Add new records)
  • R – Read (Retrieve records)
  • U – Update (Modify existing records)
  • D – Delete (Remove records)

These operations map directly to SQL statements like INSERT, SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE. Think of CRUD as the toolkit you need to manage the data inside your database tables.

Why Does CRUD Operations Matter?

CRUD is fundamental because every software system whether it’s a simple to-do app or a banking system managing millions of accounts relies on data operations. Without CRUD, there would be no way to manage, access, or manipulate data efficiently.

Let’s see how CRUD Operations are used in a banking context with real SQL code.

CREATE – Adding New Data

CRUD Operation

In a banking system, when a new customer opens an account, their data must be added to the customer table.

CREATE TABLE Customers (
CustomerID INT PRIMARY KEY,
Name VARCHAR(100),
Email VARCHAR(100),
Balance DECIMAL(10,2)
);

To insert a new customer

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerID, Name, Email, Balance)
VALUES (101, 'Ravi Kumar', 'ravi@example.com', 10000.00);

This “Insert” operation stores a new record in the Customers table.

READ – Retrieving Data

Reading data is the most commonly used Crud Operation in SQL. Whether you’re checking your balance or viewing your recent transactions, the system is running a SELECT query behind the scenes

SELECT Name, Balance
FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerID = 101;

This will return the name and balance of the customer with ID 101.

Want to get all transactions over ₹10,000?

SELECT *
FROM Transactions
WHERE Amount > 10000;

Reading lets you generate reports, view account status, and monitor fraud.

UPDATE – Modifying Existing Records

Imagine a customer updates their email or makes a withdrawal. That requires updating data.

UPDATE Customers
SET Balance = Balance - 5000
WHERE CustomerID = 101;

This deducts ₹5,000 from Ravi’s account after a withdrawal.

Or, if the customer updates their contact email:

UPDATE Customers
SET Email = 'newemail@example.com'
WHERE CustomerID = 101;

In both cases, we are modifying existing rows in the table this is the “Update” part of CRUD Operations.

DELETE – Removing Records

Suppose an account is closed or a suspicious transaction needs to be removed.

DELETE FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerID = 101;

This removes Ravi’s record from the system. Be careful with DELETE—it’s irreversible unless you implement a backup or soft-delete system (e.g., using a status column).

Another example: deleting a failed transaction.

DELETE FROM Transactions
WHERE Status = 'Failed';

Deleting helps keep your database clean and accurate.

Real-World Banking CRUD Opeartions Scenario

Let’s imagine an end-to-end scenario:

A new user opens an account (CREATE),
Logs in to check their balance (READ),
Deposits more money (UPDATE),
Then closes the account (DELETE).

Each of these actions maps directly to SQL operations. Here’s a pseudo-sequence of SQL commands for this journey:

-- CREATE
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerID, Name, Balance)
VALUES (102, 'Anjali Verma', 2000.00);

-- READ
SELECT Balance FROM Customers WHERE CustomerID = 102;

-- UPDATE (Deposit ₹1,000)
UPDATE Customers SET Balance = Balance + 1000 WHERE CustomerID = 102;

-- DELETE (Close account)
DELETE FROM Customers WHERE CustomerID = 102;

Pro Tips for Using CRUD in SQL Server

  • Always use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection.
  • Use transactions to ensure data integrity during UPDATE or DELETE.
  • Apply WHERE clauses carefully; a missing WHERE can delete the entire table.
  • Consider soft deletes using an “IsActive” or “Status” column instead of hard DELETE.

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