School of Information Systems

SQL and Relational Database

SQL, what is it?

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a programming language closely related to databases. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) said SQL is the standard language for relational database management systems. SQL has standard commands such as “SELECT”, “CREATE”, “INSERT”, “DELETE”, “DROP” AND “UPDATE” that can be used to do and accomplish almost anything that needs to be done with a database. SQL is used for modifying index structure and database table, adding, updating, deleting the data from the table, and retrieving subsets of information.

SQL itself was born in 1970 to a researcher named Jhonny Oracle, who discussed creating relational databases, which required a programming language. The language is also named SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language). SQL is used to create data (in the form of tables) and schemas that can describe entries in several columns. Meanwhile, each record in the SQL database is called a row.

The Benefits of Using SQL

a. SQL can be used on PCs, laptops, servers, and mobile devices. It needs internet and intranet systems to run.

b. SQL doesn’t need / require coding skills. SQL only uses simple keywords that are similar to human daily language, like “SELECT”, “INSERT INTO”, “DELETE”, “UPDATE”, etc.

c. SQL processes the queries quickly and efficiently. This thing makes the SQL user not waste their time.

d. SQL has an open-source code. There are a few large communities that offer free SQL databases that can be used at a low cost, such as MySQL, MariDB, and PostGres.

e. SQL provides multiple data views and giving SQL users different views of database content and structure.

f. SQL uses language that is already standardized so that the language is highly accessible to all SQL users. The language mainly uses English words.

g. SQL is highly interactive for all users.

What is Relational Database?

Relational Database is a type of database that can store or give access to related data. This database is based on the relational model, with an intuitive and direct way of representing data. The relational database is considered as a table in which the columns contain categories and the rows contain data, so it’s easier to describe, access, recover and modify data. Data in different tables in a relational database can also be combined with the presence of a primary key and a foreign key. In a relational database, three operations are used to

Develop data sets: 1. Select to create a subset of data of records that meet stated criteria 2. Join to combine relational data from different tables 3. Project to create a subset of a table using only specified columns.

Advantages of Relational Database

1. Simple

The owned database is quite simple and does not need complicated data hierarchies in its manufacture.

2. High data accuracy

The existence of two keys that are owned when using a Relational Database, namely the primary key and the foreign key, makes it possible to make a selection when selecting two data that are related to one another to avoid duplicates.

3. Flexibility

Flexible in many ways, especially with the addition of data, where if there is additional data that covers a large or large amount, using a Relational Database, all of it can be accommodated and processed without burdening it.

4. High system security

Everyone who accesses the database has different rights. For example, 1 database can be accessed by 5 people, but only 2 people can modify it, and 3 other people can only view it. In addition to different access rights, the database also contains a history of changes so that if they are changed, it will be seen who changed them, and keeps the data in the database will always maintain.

5. Easily to access

In a relational database, anyone who has access can access the database easily, depending on their respective access rights, to view, add data or change data.

SO, IS SQL STILL BEING USED IN RELATIONAL DATABASES?

The answer is an absolute yes! SQL nowadays is still being used in the relational database because SQL is the programming language of the relational database. SQL is the software used in Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). SQL is suitable for use in relational databases because relational algebra and mathematical languages are compatible, so when we use SQL in the relational database, it becomes easier to query and organize the data. The data is stored in tables and rows. They were linked in various ways. One table record can be linked to one other or many others. Besides that, many table records also can be related to many records from another table. Relational databases offer the capability for handling great amounts of data, complex SQL queries, and fast data storage and recovery. Relational databases use ‘relationships’ (usually called tables) to store and organize that data using common features in each dataset. Examples of database management systems that use SQL are Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and Sybase.

Database, SQL, Benefit SQL, Relational Database

REFERENCE :

What is SQL (Structured Query Language)? – SQLCourse Relational databases & SQL | Model, How They Work, Benefits (teachcomputerscience.com)

What Is a Relational Database | Oracle https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/SQL https://teachcomputerscience.com/relational-databases-and-sql/#SQL https://dosenit.com/kuliah-it/database/database-relasional https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5804-what-is-sql.html https://www.ibm.com/cloud/blog/sql-vs-nosql

Jessica Angel Wudianto, Krisanto Abel Ferdiyanto, Carissa Lavinia, Margareth Febryani Adoe