Structured Query Language (SQL) is a programming language that we can use to manage and manipulate relational databases. We use SQL to create, modify, and delete databases, tables, and data. We can also use SQL to retrieve and manipulate data stored in a database.
SQL is used to interact with relational databases, which are databases that store data in tables. Each table contains rows of data, where each row represents a single record, and columns that define the attributes of that record. We use SQL commands to create tables, insert data into them, and retrieve data from them.
Some common SQL commands and their uses:
| Command | Use case |
| SELECT | to retrieve data from one or more tables |
| INSERT | to add new data to a table |
| UPDATE | to modify existing data in a table |
| DELETE | to remove data from a table |
| CREATE | to create new tables, views, or other database objects |
| DROP | to delete tables, views, or other database objects |
| ALTER | to modify the structure of an existing table |
SQL is widely used in industry, and many different database management systems support SQL, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.