Introduction to RDBMS

Introduction to SQL

SQL (sometimes expanded as Structured Query Language) is a computer language used to create, retrieve, update and delete data from relational database management systems. SQL has been standardized by both ANSI and ISO.

SQL is commonly spoken either as the names of the letters ess-cue-el, or like the word sequel. The official pronunciation of SQL according to ANSI is ess-cue-el. However, each of the major database products (or projects) containing the letters SQL has its own convention:

MySQL is officially and commonly pronounced "My Ess Cue El"; PostgreSQL is expediently pronounced postgres (being the name of the predecessor to PostgreSQL); and Microsoft SQL Server is commonly spoken as Microsoft-sequel-server.

SQL was adopted as a standard by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) in 1986 and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in 1987.

However, since the dissolution of the NIST data management standards program in 1996 there has been no certification for compliance with the SQL standard so vendors must be relied on to self-certify.