SQL in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Chapter 1. SQL History and Implementations

In the early 1970s, the seminal work of IBM research fellow Dr. E. F. Codd led to the development of a relational data model product called SEQUEL, or Structured English Query Language. SEQUEL ultimately became SQL, or Structured Query Language.

IBM, along with other relational database vendors, wanted a standardized method for accessing and manipulating data in a relational database. Although IBM was the first to develop relational database theory, Oracle was first to market the technology. Over time, SQL proved popular enough in the marketplace to attract the attention of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which released standards for SQL in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2003, and 2006. This text covers the ANSI 2003 standard because the 2006 standard deals with elements of SQL outside the scope of the commands described in this book. (In essence, the SQL2006 standard describes how XML would be used in SQL.)

Since 1986, various competing languages have allowed programmers and developers to access and manipulate relational data. However, few were as easy to learn or as universally accepted as SQL. Programmers and administrators now have the benefit of being able to learn a single language that, with minor adjustments, is applicable to a wide variety of database platforms, applications, and products.

SQL in a Nutshell, Third Edition, provides the syntax for five common implementations of SQL2003 (SQL3):

• The ANSI SQL standard

• MySQL version 5.1

• Oracle Database 11g

• PostgreSQL version 8.3

• Microsoft’s SQL Server 2008