scope:

This document defines the data structures and basic operations on SQL-data. It provides functional capabilities for creating, accessing, maintaining, controlling, and protecting SQL-data. This document specifies the syntax and semantics of a database language: - For specifying and modifying the structure and the integrity constraints of SQL-data. - For declaring and invoking operations on SQL-data and cursors. - For declaring database language procedures. - For embedding SQL-statements in a compilation unit that is otherwise written in a particular programming language (host language). - For deriving an equivalent compilation unit in the host language. In that equivalent compilation unit, each embedded SQL-statement has been replaced by one or more statements in the host language, some of which invoke an SQL externally-invoked procedure that, when executed, has an effect equivalent to executing the SQL-statement. - For direct invocation of SQL-statements. - To support dynamic preparation and execution of SQL-statements. This document provides a vehicle for portability of data definitions and compilation units between SQLimplementations. This document provides a vehicle for interconnection of SQL-implementations. Implementations of this document may exist in environments that also support application programming languages, end-user query languages, report generator systems, data dictionary systems, program library systems, and distributed communication systems, as well as various tools for database design, data administration, and performance optimization.