SQL stands for Structured Query Language, which is a domain-specific programming language designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS) or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS) . It is used to store, manipulate, and retrieve data stored in a relational database. SQL is a set-based, declarative programming language, not an imperative programming language like C or BASIC. However, extensions to Standard SQL add procedural programming language functionality, such as control-of-flow constructs. SQL is widely popular because it offers the following advantages:
- Allows users to access data in the relational database management systems.
- Allows users to describe the data.
- Allows users to define the data in a database and manipulate that data.
- Allows to embed within other languages using SQL.
SQL became a standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1986 and of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1987. Since then, the standard has been revised multiple times to include a larger set of features and incorporate common extensions. However, different versions of the SQL language exist, and most SQL code requires at least some changes before being ported to different database systems.
