Preface
Since its first incarnation in the 1970s, the Structured Query Language (SQL) has evolved hand-in-hand with the information boom. As a result, it is the most widely used language to administer and query relational databases. Many software companies and developers, including those in the open source and NoSQL movements, have developed their own SQL dialects in response to specific needs. All the while, standards bodies have codified a growing list of features.
SQL in a Nutshell, 4th edition, describes the latest SQL standard—SQL:2016—version of many SQL commands, then details how different platforms implement that particular command. (Although the standards bodies have released SQL:2019, the new specifications mostly lie in the area of multidimensional arrays, which have not been implemented by the major vendors. You can read more about how SQL can be used in conjunction with these arrays on the ISO website). In this book, you will find a brief overview of the relational database model, which undergirds all relational database management systems (RDBMSs), followed by a more thorough treatment of frequently used SQL syntax and commands. New in the fourth edition are expanded explanations of programming concepts used in each vendor’s offerings, such as stored procedures and user-defined functions. And, of course, we have added popular commands that have arrived since the publication of the third edition.
SQL in a Nutshell, 4th edition, provides a concise guide to the two ...