Well, it's quite far past April 1st, so you must be serious....
Let's get things clear:
- SQL is a language, not a tool. Standard Query Language.
- SQL*Plus is a tool, not a language. This tool is specific to Oracle RDBMS
and can't be used with other database systems. It allows to work with
Oracle in interactive mode, and it can process SQL scripts (see below).
- SQL*Loader is a tool used to load arbitrary data into the database by
defining a set of rules to parse the input and put it into corresponding
database tables, converting it to appropriate data types on the way in,
and doing a lot of other things. Again, it is Oracle-specific. Other vendors
usually provide their own tools with similar functionality for their dbms.
- PL/SQL is again a language, not a tool. Is Oracle-specific and is not
available in other database management systems. Allows to create complex
applications inside the database server and do things not possible using
just SQL.
- .SQL files are not data files. Usually these files contain SQL scripts, that is,
sequences of SQL statements to be processed by the database engine in a batch.
SQL*Plus is one tool that runs such scripts (while there are many others).
- Of course, you can create files that hold tables, one file for one table, but
then you need an efficient engine to retrieve data from these files, insert, update
or delete data, create relations between different tables, etc. This engine is the
heart of the database management system. Data itself is useless if you can't
access and process it in efficient manner. How it is physically stored is
unimportant and is taken care of by the dbms - dbms developers decide how
to store data so that performance and reliability are maximized.
hth.
--
Vladimir Zakharychev (bob@dpsp-yes.com) http://www.dpsp-yes.com
Dynamic PSP(tm) - the first true RAD toolkit for Oracle-based internet applications.
All opinions are mine and do not necessarily go in line with those of my employer.
"Sted Alana" <Sted_Alana_at_hotmail.com> wrote in message news:3cc7ba6c_1_at_news.iprimus.com.au...
>
> "Katherine" <ktlang_at_prodigy.com> wrote in message
> > not a dumb question at all - here's the history!
> >
> > before oracle was a company, it was contract project for the CIA. later,
> > larry ellison took over the project and created the company, Oracle.
> >
> > as stated in the previous thread, oracle is a company that came up with
> the
> > first rdbms (relational database management system) for mid-level to small
> > companies on non-mainframe systems. They then added tools to get data in
> > and out: SQL*Plus, Oracle Forms, Oracle ReportWriter, SQLLoader were the
> > first.
> >
> > In the early days, SQL 'standard query language' was originally intended
> as
> > ASCII standard code, independent of operating system or rdbms. however
> > over time the standards have been stretched and there are flavors of SQL.
> > Microsoft's SQL, although similar, is different enough to need a
> conversion
> > table.
> >
> > SQL*Plus is Oracle's extension to the standard. It applies to only Oracle
> > rdbms . However, Oracle SQL and SQL*Plus are operating system
> independent,
> > meaning sql code written on Dynix should work on NT. PL/SQL (procedural
> > language/SQL), Functions, Triggers, Constraints, Pro*C, Pro*Cobol, etc are
> > all Oracle tools developed later in the evolution of the rdbms.
> >
> > Later, Oracle added the Financials Applications. Then Oracle became
> heavily
> > involved in the application development business, such as Clinical Trials,
> > Utilities, Telecom, Data Warehouse, Conversion, etc. Since the
> applications
> > were very difficult to implement and modify, Oracle Consulting was created
> > and tried to compete with the 'big-5' consulting firms.
> >
> > In addition to apps and tools, Oracle Designer (CASE, Designer/2000) was
> > developed in England as a case (computer-aided system engineering) tool
> for
> > database and application design with the intent of generating Oracle
> > applications from the tool.
> >
> > hope this helps -- probably a lot more than what you asked for :>)
>
> Very good Katherine. You sure do know your stuff!
>
> One last question regarding the query tools (SQL, SQL*PLUS, SQLLOADER,
> PL/SQL etc.). To me it seems that the tools are a database itself because
> you can create tables that hold data (.sql files), so why need the database
> part?
>
>
>
>
Received on Thu Apr 25 2002 - 08:42:47 CDT
