# What Is SQL? ![rw-book-cover](https://sqlcrashcourse.com/images/favicon.ico) ## Metadata - Author: [[sqlcrashcourse.com]] - Full Title: What Is SQL? - Category: #articles - Summary: SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a standard language for managing and manipulating relational databases. It allows users to retrieve, insert, update, and delete data from these databases. While there are variations of SQL in different systems, learning the basics will help you work with them all. - URL: https://sqlcrashcourse.com/what-is-sql/ ## Highlights - SQL was developed by Donald Chamberlin and Raymond Boyce at IBM in the 1970s. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jxbbtcnvffc4pb3k6c9f96bs)) - It lets us take things out of relational database systems, put new rows of data into them, amend records that are in there and remove records we don’t need any more. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jxbbw8czt0y8d78mg4xn7knp))