Introduction to SQL

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a language used to communicate with a database, performing tasks such as selecting, adding, updating and deleting data, as well as other database administration tasks. The databases that SQL can be used with are collectively known as relational databases, where data is stored in tables, each of which contain multiple rows, or records, as they are known. Examples of relational databases include MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle.

Although SQL became a standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) back in 1986, most databases also include their own additional proprietary extensions that are specific to that database.

Below are some of the basics of SQL.