SQL is a standard language for accessing and manipulating data stored in a relational database. SQL stands for Structured Query Language and was originally developed by IBM in the 1970s. SQL allows you to perform various operations on data, such as querying, inserting, updating, deleting, creating, and modifying tables, views, procedures, and permissions. SQL is widely used in many applications that involve data management, such as web development, data analysis, business intelligence, and data science. SQL is also a domain-specific language, which means it is designed for a specific purpose and has its own syntax and rules. SQL is based on the relational model of data, which organizes data into tables with rows and columns. Each row represents a record or an entity, and each column represents an attribute or a property of that entity. SQL uses commands or statements to interact with the database and retrieve or modify the data. Some of the most common SQL commands are SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, ALTER, and DROP. SQL also supports various functions, operators, clauses, and keywords to perform more complex operations on data, such as filtering, sorting, grouping, joining, aggregating, and calculating. SQL is a standard language that is supported by many relational database management systems (RDBMS), such as MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and more. However, each RDBMS may have its own extensions or variations of SQL that add more features or functionalities to the standard language. Therefore, it is important to check the documentation of the specific RDBMS you are using to learn more about its SQL syntax and capabilities.