What Is SQL Programming Language?

You probably think of Microsoft's SQL server when developers speak of an SQL programming language.

However, Microsoft is only one of many vendors of database management systems (DBMS).

Oracle is a SQL-based DBMS, and MySQL is an open-source SQL management system. Each solution has its own characteristics, but there is an ANSI standard for SQL.

"Learning standard SQL can help you learn SQL programming languages."

However, learning a database language will expand a programmer's skill set and career options.

What Is SQL?

Structured Query Language, also known as SQL, is a language for interacting with relational databases.

The acronym is pronounced as in sequel, but some people will just use the three letters S, Q, and L.

Relational databases didn't hit the market until the 1980s, despite the existence of precursors to the SQL language as early as the 1960s.

In 1979, Oracle became the first company to incorporate an SQL language into a relational database system.

However, SQL has its critics who claim that it is too slow and lacks the eloquence of other programming languages.

SQL has become the standard language for querying and manipulating data stored in relational databases despite its critics.

What Is a Database?

Multiple users can simultaneously access massive amounts of data in a database.

Data storage determines the type of database.

Distributed databases, for instance, are located on multiple computers on the same physical space or distributed across several locations.

In relational databases, data is stored in tables with columns and rows, similar to spreadsheets.

Simple manipulations of data can be made with spreadsheets, whereas complex manipulations can be made with relational databases.

Structured data is accessed most often through relational databases.

How to Use SQL

There is data everywhere. In 2020, 44 zettabytes of data will be generated in the digital world, according to the World Economic Forum.

That is  1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes of data.

Most of that data will be stored where? A database. That data would be meaningless without SQL.  Which industries maintain large amounts of data?

The financial industry

The banks keep track of every transaction that passes through their system. Mortgages, credit cards, and student loans are among the data that credit bureaus obtain from other agencies.

The insurance industry keeps records of policies, payments, claims, and sensitive personal information. The data is stored in databases that employ the highest level of security available in the SQL language.

E-Commerce

An e-commerce merchant's products and services are listed in databases behind their web-based storefronts.

Customers' purchasing histories and shopping preferences are also maintained by merchants along with individual product descriptions.

Merchants provide online recommendations and promotions based on information in a database.

Social Media

Facebook posts, Instagram photos, and Snapchat messages are all stored somewhere. The process of querying data requires SQL.

A standard programming language is required to manipulate the data in order to respond to a custom search request.

Without a database, companies like Facebook would not be able to offer targeted advertising and promotions.

Only a small portion of the world's database users belong to these three industries. These include governments, manufacturing, and libraries.

There is a need for databases and SQL everywhere. A SQL programming language is a critical skill for a developer due to its broad appeal.

Is SQL a Programming Language?

It is a set of rules that tell computers what to do. Depending on how directly the language communicates with the machine, these languages can be divided into generations.

In the first generation, languages were written in machine language, and in the second generation, they were assembled languages that were one step removed from direct contact with a computer.

A fourth-generation language, SQL is a scripting language that does not require compilation to run.

SQL requires an interpreter to translate instead of compile code, as do most of the fourth-generation languages.

As with any language, SQL has rules for issuing commands and queries. Here are some basic SQL commands:

SELECT. Requests the program to locate and extract specific data fields.

UPDATE. Tells the database to edit existing data.

DELETE. Specifies what data to delete.

Using advanced commands, you can manipulate data complexly, such as applying strict encryption to specific data fields.

What Is SQL Server?

Among the many database management systems (DBMS), three dominate the market.

Database Server. Windows-based DBMS from Microsoft. It dominates the Windows environment.

Oracle. DBMSs are SQL solutions that handle large amounts of data in multiple environments.

This solution is open-source and does not require licensing. That may change with Oracle's acquisition of MySQL.

Approximately 40% of the relational database market is dominated by Microsoft's SQL Server. Designed to work with the company's web services, it is easier to integrate into web applications.

Understanding HTML can help with the integration of database results with web applications, even if it is not a requirement. A web page is defined with HTML, which stands for Hypertext Markup Language.

SQL queries return information in the form of a string of data fields. An attractive and readable form of data can be formatted using HTML.

How to Learn SQL Language?

The first step is to decide which implementation of SQL to learn. If you are interested in web development, learning SQL Server is an excellent choice as many web applications use SQL Server to store data.

With a little HTML experience, you're ready to become a web developer. With the combined skill set of SQL and HTML, you will be able to find meaningful work.

It is not difficult to learn the basic SQL commands and queries. However, learning how to interact with the database does take some time. There is no shortcut to learning how to build an optimized SQL query.

When a query is poorly written, it can take longer to respond, leading to a time-out. Understanding how databases work will help you optimize queries. Learning from experienced programmers is crucial.

The more you practice a programming language, the better you become. Check out our powered by Woz U programs for software developers if you're looking for a career with a purpose. Isn't it time to find work that matters?