FEATURES OF SQL

FEATURES OF SQL

1. It is meant to be an English like language using set English phrases to manipulate the database. How well it achieves this is questionable.
2. It is non procedural. You specify the information required not the navigation and operations required to access the data. Each RDBMS has an inbuilt query optimiser which parses your SQL statements and works out the optimum path to the required data.
3. When you query data, all the rows affected by your statement are dealt with in one go as a set, they are not dealt with separately. The work area that holds the set is known as a CURSOR.
4. SQL encompasses a range of uses and users. DBA's, application programmers, management and end users can use SQL.
5. It provides commands for the following tasks :-

• querying data
• inserting, updating and deleting data
• creating, modifying and deleting database objects
• controlling access to the database and database objects
• guaranteeing database consistency
• monitoring database performance and configuration