Kyle's Blog

I Finally Get SQL, Kind Of

Jul, 2024

After over a decade of using SQL and databases, I finally had my "Aha!" moment about what SQL truly is. This short post is for anyone who, like me ten years ago, uses databases but has only a precarious understanding.

Understanding SQL, really understanding it, can be surprisingly difficult. Despite programming since high school and holding a computer science degree, it took me years to truly grasp what SQL is and what it does. Databases aren't something we interact with daily, making them inherently abstract. Even in computer science education, databases are often introduced in a fragmented manner—taught only when necessary for specific projects or tasks. This piecemeal approach leaves many of us with a functional but incomplete understanding, making it challenging to see the full picture of what SQL is and how it integrates into our work.

What is a Database and What is SQL?

A database is essentially an organized collection of data, typically stored and accessed electronically. SQL, or Structured Query Language, is the standard language used to interact with these databases. It allows you to perform various operations such as querying, updating, and managing data.

Think of a database like a massive, highly organized digital filing cabinet. SQL is the tool you use to interact with this filing cabinet. It’s not entirely wrong to compare it to a command-line version of Excel. Just like you use functions and formulas in Excel to handle data in a spreadsheet, you use SQL commands to manipulate and retrieve data from the database. SQL works with structured data, typically stored in tables, much like how Excel uses cells organized in rows and columns.

By understanding SQL as a tool that provides a way to communicate with and manipulate a structured collection of data, the concept becomes more tangible. It's about managing data efficiently and effectively, making it accessible and useful for various applications.

The Ah-Ha Moment

The "Ah-ha" moment for me came unexpectedly while I was setting up my local testing environment on a new PC. As I was reinstalling MySQL, it suddenly struck me: "It's just a program. SQL is just a program running on a computer..."

This simple yet profound realization made everything else click. I had always interacted with SQL through various graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which made it difficult to see SQL for what it truly is. Realizing that SQL is fundamentally a program, with different GUIs simply providing different ways to interact with the same program, was a game-changer.

Understanding this helped me see SQL in a new light. It's not some mysterious, complex tool; it's a straightforward program designed to manage and manipulate data. This clarity helped me connect the dots and understand how SQL integrates with the broader context of programming and data management.

At a high level, SQL operates by executing commands that manipulate data stored in databases. The core functions of SQL include:

    SELECT: Retrieves specific data from one or more tables.
    INSERT: Adds new data into a table.
    UPDATE: Modifies existing data within a table.
    DELETE: Removes data from a table.

SQL commands are structured and precise, enabling efficient and effective data manipulation. The real power of SQL lies in its ability to simplify complex data operations, allowing users to handle large volumes of data with clear, straightforward instructions.

Understanding SQL as a language designed to manage data fundamentally changes how you approach database management. It shifts the perspective from merely writing queries to appreciating the broader context of data interaction and manipulation. This big-picture view is crucial for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of programming and data management.

This realization may seem basic, but for those who are just starting out, understanding that SQL is simply a program designed to interact with databases can make a huge difference. It's not about being better at writing queries overnight; it's about seeing the big picture and knowing how SQL fits into the broader context of programming and data management.