In database management, a query is a request for data or information from a database table or combination of tables. It is essentially a question or a request for any operation on a particular data object. Queries can be used to retrieve, modify, delete, or add data items to a database. There are two types of queries in DBMS: select queries and action queries. A select query retrieves data from a database, while an action query asks for additional operations on the data, such as insertion, updating, or deletion. Most formal queries are written in SQL (Structured Query Language) . SQL is used to communicate with a database and is the standard language for relational database management systems. SQL queries are made up of commands that allow you to manipulate data within a database. The most common type of SQL query is a SELECT query, which retrieves data from one or more tables in your database and returns it in the form of one or more rows.