What is SQL?

     The history of SQL begins in an IBM laboratory in San Jose, California, where SQL was developed in the late 1970s. The language itself is often referred to as "sequel." It was originally developed for IBM's DB2 product.
     SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is the standart language used for accessing and manipulating data from relational databases. By using SQL a programmer or database administrator can do the followings:

•          Modify a database's structure

•          Change system security settings

•          Add user permissions on databases or tables

•          Retrieve data from a database

•          Update the contents of a database

•          Delete Records from database and Insert records to database

•          Create new tables, databases, views, stored procedures

•          Set permissions

    The most commonly used statement in SQL is the SELECT statement (next topic will be about SELECT statement), which allows to retrieve records from one or more tables in database.

References:

Oracle Database SQL Language Reference 11g Release 2 (11.2) E26088-03