Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by on Thursday May 04 2017, @11:47AM   Printer-friendly
from the fun-with-injections dept.

SQL and relational database management systems or RDBMS were invented simultaneously by Edgar F. Codd in the early 1970s. The simple fact that both arrived early in the life of computing, and that for 90% of the time they just work, means databases have become a 'solved problem' you no longer need to think about.

It's like how MailChimp has become synonymous with sending email newsletters. If you want to work with data you use RDBMS and SQL. In fact, there usually needs to be a good reason not to use them. Just like there needs to be a good reason not to use MailChimp for sending emails, or Stripe for taking card payments.

But people do use other other email automation software and payment solutions, just like people use NoSQL databases. Yet even with other database technology available, albeit less mature technology, SQL still reigns and reigns well.

So, finally, here are 8 reasons we still use SQL 43 years after it was first cooked up.

It's clickbait, I tell ya!


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday May 04 2017, @04:31PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Thursday May 04 2017, @04:31PM (#504378)

    Why hasn't something more concise, logical and which makes it easier to compose queries programatticaly emerged?

    My guess is that the problem is that the semantics can get really hard.

    Here's an example of the kinds of things you need to be able to ask an RDBMS: "Given a detailed listing of each individual purchase, which includes 4 kinds of information (loyalty card number, credit card number, delivery address, and name) that may connect multiple purchases by the same customer together, how many customers in the last 6 months have purchased at least 5 pairs of shoes and 10 pairs of socks, and how much did they pay for them?"

    A reasonably skilled SQL jockey should be able to put something together that would express this question correctly, and it wouldn't be all that long either compared to the description of the question I just asked in English.

    It's also not like there haven't been attempts to replace SQL over the last 4 decades. Many ORMs effectively try to do exactly that by adding a code layer that translates into SQL. So far, the results have been not good enough to dislodge SQL. Which is a pretty strong indication that SQL is pretty darn good at what it does.

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2