SQL-92
Encyclopedia
SQL-92 was the third revision of the SQL
database
query language
. Unlike SQL-89, it was a major revision of the standard. For all but a few minor incompatibilities, the SQL-89 standard is forwards-compatible with SQL-92.
Later revisions of the standard include SQL:1999
(SQL3), SQL:2003
, and SQL:2008.
SQL
SQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
query language
Query language
Query languages are computer languages used to make queries into databases and information systems.Broadly, query languages can be classified according to whether they are database query languages or information retrieval query languages...
. Unlike SQL-89, it was a major revision of the standard. For all but a few minor incompatibilities, the SQL-89 standard is forwards-compatible with SQL-92.
Later revisions of the standard include SQL:1999
SQL:1999
SQL:1999 was the fourth revision of the SQL database query language. The latest revision of the standard is SQL:2008.-Summary:The SQL:1999 standard, also known as SQL3, was published in 1999. Unlike previous editions, the standard's name used a colon instead of a hyphen for consistency with the...
(SQL3), SQL:2003
SQL:2003
SQL:2003 is the fifth revision of the SQL database query language. The latest revision of the standard is SQL:2008.-Summary:The SQL:2003 standard makes minor modifications to all parts of SQL:1999 , and officially introduces a few new features such as:* XML-related features * Window functions* the...
, and SQL:2008.
New Features
- SQL Agent
- New data types defined:
DATE,TIME,TIMESTAMP,INTERVAL,BITstring,VARCHARstrings, andNATIONAL CHARACTERstrings. - Support for additional character sets beyond the base requirement for representing SQL statements.
- New scalar operations such as string concatenation, date and time mathematics, and conditional statements.
- New set operations such as
UNION JOIN,NATURAL JOIN, set differences, and set intersections. - Support for alterations of schema definitionsData Definition LanguageA data definition language or data description language is a syntax similar to a computer programming language for defining data structures, especially database schemas.-History:...
viaALTERandDROP. - Bindings for CC (programming language)C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
, Ada, and MUMPSMUMPSMUMPS , or alternatively M, is a programming language created in the late 1960s, originally for use in the healthcare industry. It was designed for the production of multi-user database-driven applications...
. - New features for user privileges.
- New integrity-checking functionality such as within a
CHECKconstraintCheck ConstraintA check constraint is a condition that defines valid data when adding or updating an entry in a table of a relational database. A check constraint is applied to each row in the table. The constraint must be a predicate. It can refer to a single or multiple columns of the table...
. - New schema definitions for "Information".
- Dynamic execution of queries (as opposed to prepared).
- Better support for remote database access.
- Temporary tables.
- TransactionDatabase transactionA transaction comprises a unit of work performed within a database management system against a database, and treated in a coherent and reliable way independent of other transactions...
isolation levels. - New operations for changing data types on the fly via
CAST. - Scrolling cursors.
- Compatibility flagging for backwards and forwards compatibility with other SQL standards.
- Call Level InterfaceCall Level InterfaceThe Call Level Interface is a software standard defined in ISO/IEC 9075-3:2003. The Call Level Interface defines how a program should send SQL queries to the database management system and how the returned recordsets should be handled by the application in a consistent way...