Structured Query Language

SQL is the standard means of manipulating and querying data in relational databases. It became a standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1986, and of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1987. SQL statements are used to perform tasks such as update data on a database or retrieve data from a database. Although most database systems use SQL, most of them also have their own additional proprietary extensions that are usually only used on their system.