What is Structured Query Language (SQL)?

What is the Basic Understanding of SQL(Structured Query Language)? A query is a more powerful type of filter that can gather information from multiple tables in a relational database. Some database systems provide special windows or forms for creating queries.

Because of a similar structure of almost all databases, a common type of query language was developed. In the mid-1970s, a language called Structured English Query Language (SEQUEL) was developed by mainframe database developers.

Later SEQUEL was changed to SQL with some improvements in it. SQL is the English-like query language that allows the user to query a database without much knowledge about the underlying database.

SQL can be used as a data definition language (DDL) and as data manipulation language (DML). File extension of SQL is .sql.

SQL Versions List

Important Terms of SQL

Database

• A database is an organized collection of related information or data, which are shared and used for multiple purposes.
• A database can be a flat file database, relational Database, Distributed Database etc. The organized information or database serves as a base from which desired information can be retrieved; many meaningful conclusion can be drawn, or decision made, by further reorganizing or processing these data.
• A telephone directory is one of the most common examples of a database where the names of telephone subscribers are given in alphabetical order. The dictionary is another example of a database in which words are arranged alphabetically.

Tables

• In relational databases and flat file databases, a table is an organized set of data elements (values) using a model of vertical columns (which are identified by their name) and horizontal rows, the cell being the unit where a row and column intersect.
• A table has a specified number of columns but can have any number of rows. Each row is identified by the values appearing in a particular column subset which has been identified as a unique key index.

Fields

• Fields are the attributes of the entity which is also known as a table, the here table name is the entity and all properties of the entities are known as the fields or attributes.

Record

• A group of related fields in a table. Every record of a database contains the same fields.

Field Name

• Each field in a table has a field name. Field names are used to reference the values in a record.

Field Value

• The value in a field is known as the field value or attribute value is also known as Field value.

Query

• You can use a query to select certain records from one or more tables. A query can also be used as a source of records for forms and reports.

Form

• A form is used to enter or view the information of one record.

Report

• A document produced from the data in a database.

Macro

• The sequence of instructions or actions you can specify. Macros allow you to write programs that control user interaction and objects in your database. (Macros are an advanced topic not covered in this course.)

Module

• A collection of Visual Basic for Applications declarations and procedures are called modules.