Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F.
Boyce are widely recognized as the fathers
(creators) of SQL. While Chamberlin and Boyce physically developed the language at
IBM in the early 1970s, it was based on the theoretical work of Dr. Edgar F. Codd, who is
known as the "Father of Relational Databases"
Microsoft SQL Server was first released on April 24, 1989, as SQL Server 1.0
SQL Server 2025 2025 — Current stable version; generally available as of Nov 18, 2025.
Current Status (May 2026)
• Latest Stable Version: SQL Server 2025 (specifically version 17.0.1115.1
released in May 2026).
• Latest Update: Cumulative updates (CU) and General Distribution Releases
(GDR) for 2025 and 2022 were released as recently as May 12, 2026.
• Upcoming Support End: SQL Server 2016 is scheduled to reach the end of
extended support on July 14, 2026.
SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard programming language used to
communicate with and manage relational databases. It allows you to store, retrieve,
update, and delete information organized into tables with rows and columns. a
collection of data organized into a relational format, typically stored in tables with rows
and columns.
The primary type of SQL database is the Relational Database Management System
(RDBMS). These databases store structured data in tables with fixed rows and columns,
linked by unique identifiers called primary and foreign keys
SQL platforms are generally categorized by their licensing, deployment model, and
specific use cases.
1. Open-Source Platforms
a. MySQL
b. PostgreSQL
c. MariaDB
2. Commercial/Proprietary Platforms
a. Oracle Database
b. Microsoft SQL Server
c. IBM Db2
3. Cloud-Based Platforms
a. Amazon RDS
b. Azure SQL Database
c. Google Cloud SQL
4. Analytical & Specialized Platforms
a. Data Warehousing
b. Embedded Databases
c. In-Memory Databases
Core Concepts
• Database & Tables: Data is organized into tables consisting of rows (records)
and columns (attributes/fields).
• Primary Key: A unique identifier for every record in a table.
• Foreign Key: A column that links two tables together, ensuring referential
integrity.
• Joins: Used to combine rows from two or more tables based on a related
column.
Categories of SQL Commands
Commands are grouped by their specific purpose in managing the database:
Category Full Name Purpose Key Commands
DDL Data Definition Defines and CREATE, ALTER, DROP, TRUNCATE
Language modifies the
structure of the
database.
DML Data Manages the actual INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
Manipulation data within the
Language tables.
DQL Data Query Used specifically to SELECT
Language retrieve data.
DCL Data Control Manages user GRANT, REVOKE
Language permissions and
security.
TCL Transaction Manages database COMMIT, ROLLBACK
Control transactions to
Language ensure consistency.
Syntax & Writing Rules
• Case-Insensitivity: SQL keywords (like SELECT) are generally case-insensitive,
though they are often written in uppercase for clarity.
• Semicolons: Used to separate and end SQL statements in many database
systems.
• Data Types: Every column must have a defined data type (e.g., INT, VARCHAR for
text, DATE).
• Quotes: String (text) values and dates must be enclosed in single
quotes (e.g., 'Aman').