SQL - Introduction to SQL

What is SQL?

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language used for managing and manipulating relational databases. It provides a standardized way to communicate with databases, allowing users to perform various operations such as querying data, inserting, updating, and deleting records, creating and modifying database structures, and more.

Why SQL?

SQL is widely used in the field of database management and is essential for anyone working with relational databases. It offers a powerful and efficient way to retrieve and manage data, making it a fundamental tool for developers, data analysts, database administrators, and other professionals in the data-related domain. SQL's versatility and wide adoption across different database systems make it a valuable skill in the industry.

History of SQL:

SQL was first developed by IBM in the 1970s as part of their research project named System R. It was initially called SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language) and was designed to interact with the IBM's relational database management system. In the following years, SQL gained popularity and became an industry standard for relational databases. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have established SQL as the standard language for managing relational databases.

Process of SQL:

Using SQL involves several steps. First, you establish a connection to a database management system. Then, you write SQL statements to perform operations such as querying data using SELECT, inserting data using INSERT, updating data using UPDATE, deleting data using DELETE, creating database structures using CREATE, modifying structures using ALTER, and more. These statements are executed against the database, and the results are returned based on the specified operations. SQL provides a declarative approach, where you specify what you want to achieve, and the database management system handles the details of how to execute the query efficiently.