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SQL

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Encyclopedia of Database Systems

Synonyms

SEQUEL; Structured Query Language

Definition

SQL is the world’s most widely-used database query language. It was developed at IBM Research Laboratories in the 1970s, based on the relational data model defined by E. F. Codd in 1970. It supports retrieval, manipulation, and administration of data stored in tabular form. It is the subject of an international standard named Database Language SQL.

Historical Background

Early Language Development

In June 1970, E. F. Codd of IBM Research published a paper [4] defining the relational data model and introducing the concept of data independence. Codd’s thesis was that queries should be expressed in terms of high-level, nonprocedural concepts that are independent of physical representation. Selection of an algorithm for processing a given query could then be done by an optimizing compiler, based on the access paths available and the statistics of the stored data; if these access paths or statistics should later change, the algorithm...

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Recommended Reading

  1. Astrahan M.M. et al. System R: A relational approach to database management. ACM Trans. Database Syst., 1(2):97–137, 1976.

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  2. Chamberlin D. et al. SEQUEL 2: A unified approach to data definition, data manipulation, and control. IBM J. Res. Develop., 20(6):560–575, 1976.

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  3. Chamberlin D. and Boyce R. SEQUEL: A structured english query language. In Proc. ACM SIGFIDET Workshop, 1974, pp. 249–264.

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  4. Codd E.F. A relational model of data for large shared databanks. Commun. ACM, 13(6):377–387, 1970.

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  5. Codd E.F. A data base sublanguage founded on the relational calculus. In Proc. ACM SIGFIDET Workshop, 1971, pp. 35–68.

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  6. Codd E.F. Does Your DBMS Run by the Rules? ComputerWorld, 21 Oct., 1985. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codd’s_12_rules.

  7. Database Language SQL. Standard ISO/IEC 9075-1, -2, etc. Available at: http://www.iso.ch.

  8. Database Language SQL. Standard ANSI/ISO/IEC 9075-1, -2, etc. Available at: http://www.ansi.org.

  9. Feuerstein S. and Pribyl B. Oracle PL/SQL Programming, O’Reilly, Sebastopol, CA, 2005.

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  10. Melton J. Advanced SQL:1999–Understanding Object-Relational and Other Advanced Features. Morgan Kaufmann, San Fransisco, CA, 2003.

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  11. Melton J. and Simon A.R. SQL:1999–Understanding Relational Language Components. Morgan Kaufmann, San Fransisco, CA, 2002.

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  12. Microsoft SQL Server Development Center. Transact-SQL Reference. http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189826.aspx.

  13. Sanders R.E. ODBC 3.5 Developer’s Guide. McGraw-Hill, NY, 1998.

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  14. Sun Developer Network. JDBC Overview. http://java.sun.com/products/jdbc/overview.html.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA, USA

    Don Chamberlin

Authors
  1. Don Chamberlin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 266 Ferst Drive, 30332-0765, Atlanta, GA, USA

    LING LIU (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Database Research Group David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    M. TAMER ÖZSU (Professor and Director, University Research Chair) (Professor and Director, University Research Chair)

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© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Chamberlin, D. (2009). SQL. In: LIU, L., ÖZSU, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_1091

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