The Rise of SQL:the second programming language everyone needs to know

Posted by b-man 12/18/2025

The Rise of SQL:the second programming language everyone needs to know(spectrum.ieee.org)

156 points | 134 commentspage 3

namegulf 12/22/2025|

Data is the new oil or gold, SQL is the tool, the language to interact with it.

Put it together, it's pure gold!

ifh-hn 12/22/2025||

I've always gravitated towards query languages and SQL is one of my favourites. I've never really understood the need for ORMs and other abstractions but then I'm not a software developer.

If I was going to chose a "third" language I'd say regex.

brikym 12/22/2025||

I much prefer Kusto query language. SQL needs a few tweaks so that it's more type safe and supports auto completion. Some engines support From-first which is a good start.

Kwpolska 12/22/2025||

IEEE Spectrum is full of uninspiring blogspam, like this post.

chasil 12/22/2025||

I notice that the top image is of Transact SQL, the Sybase/Microsoft dialect. This is not a formal standard, and I suggest against its use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transact-SQL

SQL/PSM is a general ISO standard that grew out of Oracle PL/SQL, is rooted in ADA, and is implemented by a large range of databases.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL/PSM

Standards are important.

setr 12/23/2025|

The SQL standard defines more of an aesthetic than an actual language. Every database just extends it arbitrarily and anything beyond rudimentary queries is borderline guaranteed to be incompatible with other databases.

When it comes to procedural logic in particular… you have almost zero chance you’re dropping into that into another database and it working — even for rudimentary usage.

SQL-land is utterly revolting if you have any belief in standards being important. Voting for Oracle (itself initialized as a shallowly copied dialect of IBM SQL, and deviated arbitrarily) as the thing to call “standard” is just offensive.

chasil 12/23/2025||

I was not aware that IBM copied Ada.

I was aware that EnterpriseDB developed "deep Oracle compatibility" and sold the resulting code to IBM for Db2 several years ago.

I think you are [more than] a bit behind the times?

https://www.cnet.com/culture/ibm-puts-oracle-to-the-sword-wi...

CommenterPerson 12/23/2025||

Knowing SQL, and knowing how to optimize queries has pretty much paid my paycheck for 20 years.

stevefan1999 12/23/2025||

without CTE, is SQL a programming language?

marcusfrex 12/23/2025|

SQL is not a programming language.

canyp 12/23/2025|

I wonder how this guy implement a ray tracer, then.

https://github.com/chunky/sqlraytracer