What’s Data Manipulation Language?

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Data Manipulation Language (DML) is a computer language used in databases to manipulate data. DML commands include adding, modifying, deleting, and moving data. It can be split into procedural and non-procedural code. Without DML, manipulating data in the database would not be possible.

Data Manipulation Language (DML) is a structured computer language used in databases to manipulate data in some way. Some of the basic manipulations used in data manipulation language include adding to database, modifying a record, deleting a record, and moving data from one location to another. DML commands are simple and involve a word or two, such as “SELECT” or “UPDATE”, to initiate the command. DML can be split into procedural and non-procedural code, with the user specifying what data is required and how to achieve it, or only what is needed, respectively. Without DML, there would be no way to manipulate the data in the database.

One of the main reasons for using a database is to store information, but the data is usually useless or of limited use if it cannot be manipulated. DML is the standard language used to interact with information stored in the database. Through this list of commands, a user can initiate a series of changes to the database to increase its usefulness.

The data manipulation language is a pretty simple language, especially when compared to other manipulation languages, and requires only a word or two to initiate a command. The commands themselves are understandable clearly: the “UPDATE” command is used to update a record and a “DELETE” command is used to delete a record, for example. As a rule, commands are entered in uppercase letters.

There are two sections to the data manipulation language: procedural and non-procedural. The procedural way of coding is often used in corporate settings and is the correct way to code the DML request. In this scheme, the user tells the database what data the user wants to work with and how to get the data. This method tends to require more code and is a bit more difficult for users, but ensures fidelity of the coding and database records.

The second method of request coding is known as non-procedural, and while it can be done, it’s not the official way to work with a database. In nonprocedural data manipulation language, the user only tells the database what data to work with, not how to retrieve it. The commands themselves require much less code, so it will be easier for the user. At the same time, the database can generate unexpected or inefficient code due to non-procedural DML.




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