What is SQL?

Table of Contents

1. History
2. How to pronounce it?
3. What does SQL do?

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History

• SEQUEL – Structured English QUEry Language
  • SQL was first created at IBM in early 1970s, with the original name being SEQUEL.
  • But SEQUEL was already trademarked by an aeroplane company…
• SQL – Structured Query Language
  • The registered acronym in the end.

How to pronounce it?

• Many pronounce it as “sequel” for historical reasons.
• The most popular pronunciation among non-English programmers is S-Q-L.

What does SQL do?

• a programming language
• the standard language for nearly all relational database management systems
• to communicate/interact with a database
  • to query, manipulate, and define data
  • to provide access control