Re:We Can Do Better Than SQL
by int_19h on Tuesday August 11, 2020 @11:50PM
(#24128440)
> SQL is messy because all the syntax was decided on before there was a community that really understood what good syntax is.
It's not that they didn't understand it. There are languages predating SQL that have better syntax.
But SQL was one of the so-called "4th generation programming languages", that were supposed to be operating at a much higher level. And because of that, there was the notion that, if they also have a more "natural" syntax, it would allow people who are not programmers to use them effectively. Hence why SQL was originally SEQUEL - Structured English Query Language. It was meant to be written by domain experts, not database experts.
Of course, that failed (like countless other similar attempts since then), and so now we're stuck with this syntax for no good reason whatsoever.
It's not that they didn't understand it. There are languages predating SQL that have better syntax.
But SQL was one of the so-called "4th generation programming languages", that were supposed to be operating at a much higher level. And because of that, there was the notion that, if they also have a more "natural" syntax, it would allow people who are not programmers to use them effectively. Hence why SQL was originally SEQUEL - Structured English Query Language. It was meant to be written by domain experts, not database experts.
Of course, that failed (like countless other similar attempts since then), and so now we're stuck with this syntax for no good reason whatsoever.