Is SQL a Programming Language?

In my previous articles i have given so many complex sql queries for reference. I have seen that the common question is in mind of all the programmers and developers. Is SQL a programming Language? – It depends on what you are meaning and how you are thinking. SQL stands for structured query language which is really a powerful database management system which deals with the multiple front end systems.The back-end programming is used to manage the databases. You can check that what is SQL? to get more information about the SQL.

SQL is database management system but not used for programming language to design the front end systems. You can say that SQL is used to design the business logic but not the front end of the system.

Types of Computer Languages :

The programming language is nothing but the set of grammatical rules and syntax’s to achieve the specified business logic.These rules are used to give the instructions to the computer system to perform the specific task.We require to follow the specific syntax to give instructions to the computer or to add the specified business logic. These are following basic SQL queries which are important to perform multiple data definition language or data manipulation language.

There are two types of programming languages :

1.General purpose programming language

2.Domain specific programming language

Is SQL a Programming Language? :

The SQL is not the general purpose programming language. The general purpose programming languages are specifically used for the software development. So SQL is not general purpose language.

There are sublanguages in SQL itself :

1. Data Definition Language : This is nothing but the Data definition language. This language is specifically used for defining the data.The data definition language allows us to create the table , destroy the table.The Create,Alter and drop are three different types of the Data definition language queries.
2. Data Manipulation Language : This is used specifically to manipulate the data stored in the database.The DML statements are used for select select,insert,update commands. The delete command is also the data manipulation language.
3. Data Control Language : DCL is specifically used to control the access of data stored in database. All kind of privileges and allowing and granting the multiple type of access is managed as data control language. Grant and revoke are two statements used as data control language in oracle.
4. Transaction Control language : The TCL is used to control the processing of transactions in database. The Commit and rollback are two main statements which are used to commit transaction or to undo transaction.We can use savepoint statement to divide the transaction in several smaller parts.

The question is- What type of language the SQL is?

Answer :

You can say that the SQL is domain specific programming language. The Domain specific programming languages are the languages which are specialized to do the particular operation. The SQL is specifically used for database management systems so you can say that SQL is domain specific programming language.

We require to use standard syntax and processes to give instructions to the specified systems.SQL is released by oracle corporation in year 1979 for commercial purpose. Then the SQL is accepted as the universal database management system for all the systems like Oracle,SQL Server and PostgreSQL language. The SQL is language you can say that the SQL is domain specific programming language which is used for database management.

I hope you like this article and you got the clear idea about the question about SQL. In simple words SQL is a domain specific programming language or the database management system which is used to manage the databases.