July 13th, 2024

After a deacade of using SQL it "clicked" for me

Kyle Benzle reflects on understanding SQL after years, comparing it to a tool for structured data management. He emphasizes SQL as a program for data manipulation, highlighting key commands for efficient database management.

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After a deacade of using SQL it "clicked" for me

In a blog post titled "I Finally Get SQL," Kyle Benzle shares his realization about the nature of SQL after over a decade of using databases. He reflects on the challenges of truly understanding SQL, despite his background in programming and computer science. Benzle explains that a database is an organized collection of data accessed electronically, with SQL being the standard language to interact with databases. He compares SQL to a tool for managing data in a structured manner, similar to Excel functions in a spreadsheet. Benzle's "Ah-ha" moment came when he realized that SQL is fundamentally a program running on a computer, simplifying its complexity. He emphasizes that understanding SQL as a program for data manipulation is crucial for grasping its role in programming and data management. Benzle highlights key SQL commands like SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE, which enable efficient data manipulation. By viewing SQL as a language for managing data, individuals can enhance their understanding of database management and its broader implications in programming.

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By @cosmicradiance - 4 months
Anyone who started programming in the early 2000s would know that intrinsically. Now there are so many tools and frameworks which abstract SQL. It's no surprise that the newer generation has eureka moments discovering structured-query-language as a comprehensive program to interact with databases.
By @bentobean - 4 months
How on earth did this bubble to the top few pages on HN?
By @treebeard901 - 4 months
But… Look, see those birds? At some point a program was written to govern them. A program was written to watch over the trees, and the wind, the sunrise, and sunset. There are programs running all over the place. The ones doing their job, doing what they were meant to do, are invisible. You’d never even know they were here. But the other ones, well, we hear about them all the time.
By @kasabali - 4 months
> 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. ... > ... > ... 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..."

I wouldn't be surprised to hear this from a barista turned "coder" in a 6 week bootcamp, but from a compsci graduate, Seriously? The absolute state of university education today.

By @theGeatZhopa - 4 months
Wait until you find out about no-sql :)