Computing Atlas

How Computing Was Built
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Programming Language

SQL

Officially ess-cue-el, spelled out letter by letter, per the original ANSI/ISO standard; many database professionals, including Donald Chamberlin himself, instead say it as one word, sequel, reflecting the languages original 1970s name, SEQUEL.
Also Known As Structured Query Language
Query Language

SQL, Structured Query Language, is a domain specific language used to manage data, especially in relational database management systems. It was initially developed at IBM by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce in the early 1970s, after they learned of the relational model from Edgar F. Codd, under the original name SEQUEL, for IBM's System R; by 1986 ANSI and ISO had adopted the standard Database Language SQL definition, and it remains the common tongue of the world's databases. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
First Released
1974 1
First Released
1986 2
Developed at IBM in the early 1970s under the name SEQUEL; 1986 is the year ANSI and ISO adopted the Database Language SQL standard.
Paradigm
Declarative, domain specific 2
Significance
The standard language of relational databases, born at IBM from Codd's relational model and standardized by ANSI and ISO in 1986. 2
Classification
Typing Discipline
Statically Typed 1
Typing Discipline
Strongly Typed 1
FAQs

What was SQL originally called?

It began as SEQUEL at IBM.

SQL was first called SEQUEL, short for Structured English Query Language. That early version was designed to manipulate and retrieve data stored in IBM's original quasirelational database management system.
Connections

Base Language For

Follows Typing Discipline

In Field

Databases, Fields

Influenced

Source Wikidata: PowerShell

Influenced By

Source Wikidata: SQL
Source Wikipedia: SQL

Invented By

Source Wikidata: SQL
Sources
1. Wikidata: SQL
  • Wikidata Q47607, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Wikidata Q47607 P571 (inception)
  • Wikidata Q47607 P7078 (typing discipline)
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: SQL
Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    Structured Query Language (SQL) (pronounced S-Q-L; or alternatively as "sequel") is a domain-specific language used to manage data, especially in a relational database management system (RDBMS).
  • History
    By 1986, ANSI and ISO standard groups officially adopted the standard "Database Language SQL" language definition.
  • History section
    This version, initially called SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language), was designed to manipulate and retrieve data stored in IBM's original quasirelational database management system, System R.
  • Standardization history section
  • In Group: SQL and Its Procedural Extensions, Lead
    Structured Query Language (SQL) (pronounced S-Q-L; or alternatively as "sequel") is a domain-specific language used to manage data, especially in a relational database management system (RDBMS).
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.