How many SQL dialects are there?

To get a better understanding of the main differences between four SQL dialects, here is an overview of some syntax particularities of PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Standard SQL as it is used in Google BigQuery.

What are the SQL dialects?

PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server are all database products by different vendors. SQL is the programming language used to talk to these databases, and each database product has its own variant of SQL. We call these variants SQL dialects. LearnSQL.com is a great place to learn SQL.

What is the best SQL dialect?

MySQL has consistently been the most popular version of SQL in Stack Overflow questions. Second in line is Microsoft SQL Server (including T-SQL, the name of Microsoft’s dialect of SQL), which remains a consistently more popular tag than PostgreSQL and SQLite.

What are the different Flavours of SQL?

There are several flavors of SQL: MySQL, MSSQL, postGreSQL, etc. They have the basics of the language in common, but will have some differences. All of these SQL variants support “relational” databases that are table-based.

Why are there so many DBMS?

The primary reasons why SQL-based RDBMSs continue to dominate are: (1) they are highly stable and reliable; (2) they adhere to a standard that integrates seamlessly with popular software stacks like LAMP; and (3) we’ve been using them for more than 40 years.

Can I learn a different dialect of SQL for each database?

If you learn a vendor-specific dialect of SQL, then some of its syntax or functions may not work in a different database. SQL was developed in the early 1980s. At that time, each database vendor had its own version of SQL. These SQL versions varied widely and were incompatible with each other.

Should I learn standard SQL or different types of SQL?

If you know you need to learn SQL, then you should learn the standard SQL. However, if you already know with which specific database you will be working, it’s probably best to learn its SQL dialect and just be aware that different databases may use a slightly different syntax.

What is T-SQL (Transact-SQL)?

Transact-SQL, often abbreviated “ T-SQL,” is the dialect of SQL used in the Microsoft SQL Server database. Simply put, the SQL Server’s version of SQL has its own proper name. No other database has a proper name for their SQL dialect. If you need to learn T-SQL, we recommend you try our SQL Server courses.

What is a PostgreSQL dialect?

SQL dialect and extensions implemented in PostgreSQL. The acronym stands for Procedural Language/PostgreSQL. Users who plan to work extensively with a single database system should learn the intricacies of their preferred SQL dialect or platform. Get SQL in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition now with O’Reilly online learning.