Explain what a VIEW is and its benefits

A VIEW is a virtual table based on the result of an SQL query. A view does not store data itself but provides a specific way to view data from one or more tables.

Benefits of a VIEW:

• Simplifies complex queries: Allows saving a complex query and using it as a simple table.
• Security: Grants users access only to specific data, hiding the rest.
• Updatability: In some cases, data can be updated through the view.
• Maintains data integrity: Can combine data from multiple tables in a specific way.

Example of creating a VIEW:

MySQL 8.1
CREATE VIEW employee_details AS
SELECT e.id, e.name, d.name AS department, e.salary
FROM employees e
JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.id;

Using a VIEW:

MySQL 8.1
SELECT * FROM employee_details WHERE salary > 50000;