which hides away complicated things like sql behind an more accessible api...

> complicated things like sql

Heh, SQL (formerly SEQUEL) is the 'structured English query language', designed to be simple enough for anyone who knows a bit of English - not unlike Cobol.

Yes sure, but when you start one language having to learn another just to store and retrieve data is a lot to ask.

And of course once you progress with your data needs you get into more complex aspects of the language where the simplicity of the language isn't as important as the concepts and ideas it does express.

AFAIK the idea was that SQL is so close to plain English that any accountant could simply use it to generate reports or enter data. It's really an old fallacy that using plain language would make complexity go away.

> SQL (formerly SEQUEL)

Off-topic, but today I learned I've been pronouncing it as originally intended all this time.

In other words: https://xkcd.com/927/ (XKCD: Standards)