SQL (Structured/System Query Language) is a programming language that was based off of relational algebra and tuple relational calculus. SQL was purposely designed for managing data in relational database management systems. SQL was created by Donald Chamberlain and Raymond Boyce in the 1970’s. SQL uses clauses, expressions, predicates, queries, statements and insignificant white spaces in its coding. The aforementioned language criteria can be assembled to insert data, query, update and delete. The code is also used for schema creation and modification as well as data access control.
Retrieving data using SQL is relatively different from a text search using the web. Structured data simply means that the data will be represented in tables; rows and columns to be specific. The rows represent an object and the columns represent an attribute to attach to the object in each row.
To piggy-back off of what Elda Cifligu says, “SQL is a powerful and useful tool that links people, computer programs and systems to the data stored in a relational database; thus it is very important to have a well written standardized language that allows everyone to access and manipulate databases. It has multiple functions that are necessary for understanding and using databases and over the years SQL has expanded to support the new technology, hardware, operating systems and languages.” This statement fits well into the idea of interoperability. Thus SQL can be labeled a tool for interoperability when the functions of the language create ease in transferring data.
Typically I am familiar with object oriented languages like python and C++. SQL differs from these languages in that the SQL executes one statement at a time. SQL directly interacts with the database telling it “what” to do, but object oriented programming tells the database “how” to do a specific task. SQL can be embedded into these object oriented languages but the vice versa scenario cannot be done.
My experience with programing language is very primitive. However I have done some preliminary work with C++, Python and MATLAB. However I hope to learn more about SQL and programming as a whole in this class. It is very important that civil engineering students get a firm grasp of database and programming before entering the field of employment.
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