Is there is query with which I can get the sum of elements in one row?

I am trying to develop an atttendance application. Design as follows-

<date1> <date2> <date3> <date4>--- <attended>
<rollno1> 1 0 1 1 3
<rollno2> 0 0 1 1 2
<rollno3> 0 1 0 0 1

I am trying to get the attended field.

Is it possible, or is it a bad design?

Please suggest an alternate design if so.

I am absolutely new to database design.

How to design the appropriate select statement? Also, what if you want to add a further date <date5>? From a theoretical point of view, your design even violates the first normal form (1NF), because of the repeating date-x group. You will run into serious difficulties by that design. Your table might be considered to be badly designed.
Simple rule: if you are forced to expand the number of columns when new data need to be recorded, you must put this sort of data into rows, and not in columns! So a rather better design is:
This arrangement is much more flexible (also fulfils 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF, where 3NF is the appropriate normal form a table always should meed. You need to learn something about Codd's normalization theorie if you want to design good tables).

For example: select attended:
select roll#, count(roll#) as attended from roda group by roll#
will give:

Further advice: Tables always must have (yes, they must have that!) primary key, for example primary key(roll#, dates).

Hope this will help you.

krs,
tesu