What is Structured Query Language? - Importance of learning SQL

What is SQL?

    Structured Query Language, commonly known as SQL, is a standard programming language for relational databases. Despite being older than many other types of code, it is the most widely implemented database language.

    SQL can be used to share and manage data, particularly data that is found in relational database management systems, which include data organized into tables. Multiple files, each containing tables of data, also may be related together by a common field. Using SQL, you can query, update, and reorganize data, as well as create and modify the schema (structure) of a database system, and control access to its data. 

    A lot of information can be compiled in a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel, but SQL is intended to compile and manage data in much greater volumes. While spreadsheets can become cumbersome with too much information, SQL databases can handle millions, or even billions, of cells of data.

    SQL is an exceptional reason programming language that is utilized to interface with databases. It works by understanding and analyzing databases that include data fields in their tables. For example, we can take a large organization where a lot of data have to be stored and managed. The organization has to collect and store all the information from the various departments. All the gathered information is organized and stored in a database, but it has to be valuable and accessible — that’s the place where SQL comes in. In such a situation, SQL is a platform that associates with front-end and back-end databases (computers and databases held on servers).

 SQL statements 

    If you were to navigate a large database without SQL, it would take a significantly longer time to find the data you need. By using the SELECT statement, you can select data by table and column types. This way, you can instantly pinpoint data sets that meet all requirements of your search rather than spending a lot of time searching manually. 

    The INSERT statement allows you to add new information into the tables. Similarly to the SELECT statement, you can choose multiple columns to input your data into.

    The DELETE statement does exactly what it sounds like: it allows you to delete existing records within a table.  A DELETE query also allows you to specify rows that should be deleted that match specific conditions.

    The CREATE DATABASE statement is the first step to setting up your database, it is used to create an entirely new database within your database management system. Likewise, CREATE TABLE is used to create a new table once the database has been created. 

    The UPDATE statement is used to update one or more records within the database. You can either update all rows at once or use a condition to only alter a subset.

What is Database?

    Databases are all around us, with almost every company and business needing to store information digitally. A database is a collection of organized data that can be easily stored, sorted, retrieved, and searched.

    There are a variety of database types, and which type you use will be dependent on the type of data you wish to store. Let’s look at a few popular database types: 

• Relational databases – these databases are laid out in rows and columns, store and provide data in multiple tables, and they allow you to identify and access the data in relation to one another. All relational databases use SQL. Microsoft SQL Server is an example of a relational database management system.

• NoSQL databases – this encompasses any database that does not use SQL as its primary language. These databases are better suited for those who do not want their data as structured. We’ll talk more about these databases later. CouchDB is an example of a NoSQL database.

• Cloud databases – these are any database that runs within the cloud, access to these databases are provided as a service. They are low maintenance and offer flexibility. Oracle Autonomous Database is an example of a cloud database.

• Time series databases – these are databases that have been optimized for time-stamped data, which offers more accurate insights. Druid is an example of a time-series database.

What is SQL used for?

    Now that we understand what is SQL and how does it work, let’s try to see what SQL can do. This programming language has various uses for data analysts & data science professionals. It is particularly helpful because it can:

• Execute queries against a database
• Retrieve data from a database
• Insert records into a database
• Update records in a database
• Delete records from a database
• Create new databases, or new tables in a database
• Create stored procedures & views in a database
• Set permissions on tables, procedures, and views

    Imagine how difficult life would be if we did not have a way to control the database in this format. After getting a sense of what SQL is used for, let’s try our hands at learning SQL on an actual database.

Types of SQL commands

    The language can be broken down into four types of SQL commands – DDL, DML, DQL and DCL. Let’s look at what each of these sections are:

• DDL (data definition language) – this is used to create and modify database objects like tables, users, and indices. 

• DML (data manipulation language) – this is used to delete, add, and modify data within databases.

• DCL (data control language) – this is used to control access to any data within a database.

• DQL (data query language) – this is used to perform queries on the data and find information, and is composed of COMMAND statements only.

    There are tools available to help you write SQL, some of these tools include Microsoft’s SQL Server Management Studio, DataGrip, Oracle’s SQL developer, SQL Workbench and Toad.

Advantages of Learning SQL Structured Query Language

        The advantages of learning SQL are expanding and significant. SQL had a colossal increment in utilization during the most recent couple of years. Now, this tendency proceeds because companies gather more and more information that has to be stored and comprehended afterward.

1. Universal Language

    SQL is one of the techniques that seeps over into other numerous disciplines. When you work with SQL, you’re using the computer’s language. This stimulates you to progress into coding with other different languages, for example, C++,  Javascript, Python, and others. All these languages are invaluable and still in demand.

    Everything you need for prevailing with a programming language is a dream about a field you want to work in. During the time of learning SQL, you can enhance your abilities to specialize as a programmer, developer, manager, and more. It sounds cheesy; however, there are truly no boundaries of what you can do with SQL.

2. Open-Source – Easy to learn and use

    SQL is an open-source programming language, so it has a large community of developers. Many topics that relate to SQL and MySQL are posted on StackOverflow consistently. SQL is comparatively easier to learn than other programming languages, for example, C++. Also, a considerable number of the prevalent databases that use SQL (MySQL, MariaDB, and Postgres) are open-source.

3. Manage Million Rows of Data

    Traditional spreadsheets can be used to manage small-to-medium-sized sets of information, so we will require an alternate solution when managing such huge records. Gratefully, this is a field, in which SQL sparkles: regardless of whether it’s 1,000 records or 100 million, SQL is completely equipped to handle data pools of virtually all sizes.

    Did your spreadsheet crash since you had thousands of columns of information? Relational databases are intended to store millions of rows of data. SQL permits you performing activities on this large measure of data without worrying about crashing. Microsoft Excel is an incredible tool, but it was not developed to perform tasks on millions of rows at once. Relational databases are intended for such huge tasks, and SQL is the language that enables you to finish them.

4. Technology Evolution

    Database technologies like MySQL, Microsoft SQL, and PostgreSQL Server reinforce huge associations, small companies, banks, hospitals, colleges. In fact, every PC or individual with access to some kind of mechanical device eventually touches SQL. It is even on your smartphone since Android and iOS both use SQL.

5. High in Demand

    There aren’t many individuals in the present workforce who have a working experience in SQL. Many businesses perceive the value of such a skill in the current market. However, it’s a simple sell to make.

    Companies are currently searching out those individuals who are skilled in SQL. It’s one thing to have the capacity to gain a high salary. However, employers know the worth that somebody, who is skilled in SQL, leads to their association and need to hire these people. Also, in case you want to change a job, learning SQL makes you a favorably sought after prospect.

    You won’t have problems while finding a job as a SQL programmer. There are much more SQL programming employments than some other kind of programming languages, including  C+, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, and PHP.

 Conclusion

    SQL is a magnificently essential and valuable skill businesses desire. Almost every business has become digitized. Digital means data – data rises to databases, and, to be responsible to those databases, you require SQL. Read any business journal and you will see something about analytics or business intelligence (BI). As companies strive to accomplish more with their information, they will require more people with the skills to access and analyze that data. SQL is the key skill that empowers you to do that.