Surprises in SQL – State-of-the-art options in the standard query language
State-of-the-art SQL can do much more than you might think. Despite its popular image as a fairly limited database tool, SQL is no longer restricted to the relational data model but can also handle nested objects and structured documents, features more commonly associated with later technologies like NoSQL. Of course, it all depends on what you call SQL. Not all vendors implement all the features of the various SQL standards that have appeared through the years. In this article, I take you on a tour of some of interesting tricks available through standards-based SQL.
92 and 99
The SQL:92 standard is the starting point for the complete, classical SQL database system we think of today. SQL:92 was already the second major version of the SQL standard, and it achieved a certain level of completeness as an embodiment of the classic relational model. However, developers knew even back in 1992 that the relational model is not ideal for all data.
The third major version of the SQL standard in 1999 brought an end to the plain vanilla relational SQL. All signs pointed to object-oriented programming. The standard featured the concept of the object-relational database, but a couple of years too late as it turned out. Object-relational mappers (ORMs) had already begun to build a bridge between object-oriented programming and the relational data model.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.