What is SQL?

Answer

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language for managing and manipulating relational databases. It was developed in the 1970s by IBM and standardized by ANSI/ISO. SQL is used to: create and modify database structures (DDL), insert, update, delete, and query data (DML), control access to data (DCL), and manage transactions (TCL). SQL is declarative — you describe what data you want, not how to get it; the database engine determines the optimal execution plan. Key categories: DDL (Data Definition Language) — CREATE, ALTER, DROP, TRUNCATE; DML (Data Manipulation Language) — SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE; DCL (Data Control Language) — GRANT, REVOKE; TCL (Transaction Control Language) — COMMIT, ROLLBACK, SAVEPOINT. All major relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, SQLite) use SQL with slight syntax variations. MySQL is a popular open-source RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) that is widely used for web applications.