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All these real-life applications require a DBMS to manipulate and handle this enormous data. A
DBMS requires some language to handle and manipulate its data, which is known as Structured
Query Language (SQL). The following topic deals exclusively with relational databases, their tables
and retrieving data using Structured Query Language (SQL).

12.7 OVERVIEW OF SQL AND MySQL

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a standard language
for accessing and manipulating databases. SQL commands
are used to create, transform and retrieve information from
Relational Database Management Systems and are also
used to create interface between a user and database. By
using SQL commands, one can search for any data in the
database and perform other functions like creating tables,
adding records, modifying data, removing rows, dropping
Fig. 12.13: Structured Query Language
tables, etc.
MySQL is an open-source and freely-available Relational
Database Management System (RDBMS) that uses
Structured Query Language (SQL). It provides excellent
features for creating, storing, maintaining and accessing
data, stored in the form of databases and their respective
tables. A single MySQL database can store several tables at a
time and can store thousands of records in it.
Being an open-source software, it can be freely and easily downloaded from the site
www.mysql.org. MySQL is developed and supported by Sweden-based company, MySQL AB. It is
fully secured, reliable, and fast, and possesses far better functionalities than many other commercial
RDBMs available in the market.
Computer Science with Python–XII 12.12 SQL is the most common language used to create, operate, update, manipulate and communicate
12.8 FEATURES OF SQL

with a database.

In 1970, SQL was developed by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce at IBM. Thus, SQL
is a fourth generation non-procedural language that is used to create, manipulate and process
the databases (relations). In other words, these languages describe what data is to be retrieved,
inserted and updated or deleted from a database.