1. Introduction to SQL

What is SQL?

SQL (commonly pronounced as See-quel) standards for Structured Query Language and is the standard language used to manage and manipulate relational databases
SQL allows you to define and manipulate the structured data you have stored in your relational databases

SQL is the standard language for use with relational databases
- Meaning that almost all relational database management systems (i.e. MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL) all use SQL as their primary language
- One key characteristic of the non-relational database management systems is that they don’t require SQL (hence the NoSQL moniker)
SQL is a declarative language
- With SQL you specify what you want to achieve (such as fetching certain data) and the RDBBMS manages how the task is completed
- This means all you have to do is tell the DBMS what you want done, and the DBMS will take care of doing it

SQL allows you to interact with the tables inside a relational database
A database can have multiple tables, and you tell SQL which table you want to work with