Structured Query Language, or SQL, is a standardized programming language for managing relational databases. Created by IBM in the 1970s, SQL has since become the de facto standard for interacting with databases and is now supported by almost every relational database system.SQL is primarily used for querying and manipulating data. It allows users to insert, update, delete, and retrieve data within a database, facilitating smooth data handling. Moreover, it's also used for creating and modifying a database's schema (structure), including tables, indexes, and database constraints.

PL/SQL, or Procedural Language for SQL, is an extension of SQL developed by Oracle Corporation. It combines the declarative nature of SQL with the procedural features found in programming languages, enabling more powerful and complex operations on the Oracle database. PL/SQL is primarily used to write and execute procedures, functions, triggers, and packages in the Oracle database environment.

How do SQL and PL/SQL differ in their use?

SQL is mainly used for database manipulation and querying, while PL/SQL extends that functionality with procedural programming capabilities, allowing the creation of more complex programs and applications that include elements such as control structures and loops.

Can you use SQL commands within PL/SQL?

Yes, you can use SQL statements in a PL/SQL block. In fact, one of the main advantages of PL/SQL is its ability to process SQL statements, allowing efficient and flexible database manipulation.

Read Latest and Insightful Articles About SQL

Data Science, SQL

Difference Between SQL and PLSQL

by Vikram Singh

LAST UPDATED: August 31, 2023, 10:32 IST

In the ever-evolving data management world, SQL and PL/SQL are the two main languages driving efficient processing and analysis of relational databases. Despite their common goal of managing data, the...

SQL

A Beginner’s Guide to SQL String Functions

by Shiksha Online

LAST UPDATED: March 3, 2023, 19:04 IST

SQL (Structured Query language) is a tool for managing and manipulating data stored in relational databases. SQL string functions are a set of built-in functions that allow you to manipulate...

Data Science, SQL

All About Natural Joins in SQL

by Shiksha Online

LAST UPDATED: June 16, 2023, 10:14 IST

A natural join in SQL is a type of join that combines rows from two or more tables based on their common columns. In this tutorial, we will learn how...

SQL

Difference Between WHERE and HAVING Clause

by Anshuman Singh

LAST UPDATED: January 30, 2023, 15:45 IST

The main difference between WHERE and HAVING clause is that the WHERE clause allows you to filter data from specific rows (individual rows) from a table based on certain conditions. In contrast,...

SQL

Inner Join vs Outer Join

by Anshuman Singh

LAST UPDATED: October 18, 2022, 10:47 IST

This article will cover Inner Join vs Outer Join in great detail. But before we do so, let's understand what a SQL join is. So, A SQL join is responsible...

Data Science, SQL

INNER JOIN in SQL

by Vikram Singh

LAST UPDATED: March 20, 2023, 12:32 IST

When you have multiple interrelated tables and want to extract the data from more than two or more tables then SQL JOINS comes into the picture that combines the records...

Category: SQL

Difference Between SQL and PLSQL

A Beginner’s Guide to SQL String Functions

All About Natural Joins in SQL

Difference Between WHERE and HAVING Clause

Inner Join vs Outer Join

INNER JOIN in SQL