SQL was developed in the 1970's, becoming the most widely used database language and it stands for Structured Query Language. [1] This type of language is utilized to access, communicate and interoperate with a large database, containing a lot of information. Some of the capabilities of SQL include, but are not only limited to: inserting/updating records in a database, creating/erasing databases, creating tables and stored procedures in a database, retrieving data and executing queries in a database. [3] SQL is considered to be an ANSI Standard (American National Standards Institution). [2] However, there are various versions of the language, depending on the relational database management system that it is being used for. Despite the differences between versions, some of the commands used in SQL such as Insert, Delete, Create, etc., remain universal and sufficient to accomplish the main goal that the user needs from a database.
Figure 1 below displays the major syntax used in the language, with a brief description of what each symbol means and a simple example to help new learners understand the language elements faster.
Figure 1: Operators used in SQL [2]
The three main "sub-languages" SQL is comprised of include: data definition language, data manipulation language and data control language. [2] SQL is often referred to as a declarative language (builds the structure by expressing the logic of computation, not describing the control flow). However, it is often argued that SQL also includes procedural elements (programming that contains a number of steps to be carried out).
Learning SQL is important, because it gives the user the power to access and interpret data, especially in the programming/developing sphere. All the data generated around the world ( around 1 Hexabyte/minute) needs to be stored in databases [4]. Since SQL is the language of databases, given that is a common factor in most of them, having prior knowledge in it can ensure the user has knowledge on how to access data, assemble it, compare/analyze/summarize it, etc. SQL is a proven technology where it is the easiest, most familiar and most compatible way to write queries. [5] It offers vast flexibility in the number of standards, open-source projects and vendors it applies to.
Comments:
Drew Hovey: I believe that to us as future architectural engineers, the most important and applicable aspect of relational databases lies in the benefits of such technology. As discussed in class over the course of 5 weeks, technology is advancing rapidly in many spheres. The three main benefits that you have listed, especially the "real time data entry" aspect, are extremely important. Our group (B-Team) talked of potential uses of BIM, 10-20 years from now, where a scanning technology could convert the physical world into digital 2D or 3D models. Real Time Data entry would be crucial in such cases, for an efficient design and construction, where changes in a particular model, equipment or procedure entered in such a relational database, would be automatically updated in all used models for either design or construction of a project.
Hayley Selden: Storing project information in a database is extremely important. Bigger companies invest thousands of dollars to buy storage from different clouds every year, in this way expanding their network. I agree with your statement of how important is to store all information, whether it is technical or legal. Having information secured "in writing" is a good way to assign responsibilities in case something goes wrong, or to use that information as a "database" you can learn and pull information from. I can see the applicability of this in many spheres, especially the ones more closely related to us, such as design and construction.
Maissoun Ksara: It's interesting how you mention the Parent-Child relationship technology. I recently volunteered to help the company I was interning at, to update their database with dozens of new contact information that the company had come across in the last few months. They used a very similar database to store all this information, making good use of the Parent-Child technology. Each "first time entry" would be considered a parent company, and each branch of that company in a different city would be called a child company. Contact information would be carefully placed under the correct branch, making it easier to search for someone in case the user knew what office the contact was out of, but didn't know his exact name or title.
Resources
[1] http://www.sqlcourse.com/intro.html
"SQLCourse. "What is SQL?" SQLCourse - Lesson 1: What is SQL? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017."
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL
"SQL." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.
[3] http://www.w3schools.com/sql/
"SQL Tutorial." SQL Tutorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.
[4] https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-important-to-learn-SQL
"Why is it important to learn SQL?" Why is it important to learn SQL? - Quora. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.
[5] https://www.voltdb.com/why-sql-important
"Why SQL Is Important." Why SQL Is Important. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.
