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SQL vs NoSQL – Which is Better?

In this tutorial, we will discuss SQL vs NoSQL and the future in SQL.

As we have seen in our journey of learning SQL, it deals with data and is specifically essential for the analytics and assessment of the data. SQL in itself is not a programming language instead it is a database transaction language preferable for performing operations on the data.

When we talk about SQL or what we call SEQUEL, the first thing that comes to our mind is a huge database containing data. SQL is the primary language being used for Crud operations on databases.

SQL is a fourth-generation language, i.e., it specifies the output we need. We need not worry about the method or the algorithm that goes into the generation of the output.

Let us now look at the future of SQL.

What is SQL?

SQL is a programming language used for querying the database. Structured Query Language(SQL) is used widely after embedding it in high-level languages. Major operations on a database are CRUD operations i.e., Create, Read, Update and Delete and are a widely used database in the technological world.

The database is important and comes in use to store the large volumes of data being produced today. SQL is a powerful tool for anyone who deals with data on a day-to-day basis. SQL can insert data into a database and is put to use extensively with the big data.

What can we do with SQL?

We can use SQL for various operations. Some of them are as follows :

1. We can use SQL to run queries on a database.

2. SQL is preferable to perform CRUD(Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete) operations on a database.

3. SQL is the standard choice to create and manage databases.

4. We use SQL to update and manipulate the existing data in the database.

5. SQL provides support to create views over an already existing database table.

6. SQL comes in handy when we need to divide permissions among different users of a database.

7. We can perform transactions easily on databases using SQL as it is compatible with almost all programming languages like – C++, Java, Python, etc.

Can NoSQL be a threat to SQL?

A NoSQL database works on attaining simplicity of design, simple deploying capability, and control over accessibility and availability. The storage system which is put in use by the NoSQL DBMS makes them insanely fast.

NoSQL databases are put to use after understanding the requirements and the problem we are addressing. The data structures that are put to use by NoSQL DBMS are different from those used by other DBMS and thus the speed difference.

The data strange capability of NoSQL is reliable and scalable with the available systems.

With the increased popularity of big data, the popularity of NoSQL is also increasing. And this is due to the simple working algorithm of the DBMS system.

Advantages of NoSQL

  • Cost-efficient as it is available under an open-source license.
  • Compatible with almost all types of data.
  • No strict definition of the database i.e. flexible storage capacity.
  • Can handle large volumes of data effectively.

When we think about the future of SQL and the emergence of NoSQL, we should not forget the fact that both are equally important. When we talk about SQL, it is the most widely used database for the RDBMS and is preferable for storing and managing structured data.

Advantages of SQL Programming Language

Some of the benefits of SQL are as follows:

  • We have tools present to integrate SQL with the ML models directly.
  • SQL is highly compatible with almost every tech stack.
  • SQL has a rich user interface and libraries for support in various programming languages.
  • It works on the ACID property i.e., Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability.
  • SQL is vertically scalable and highly stable when sent into production.
  • SQL is capable of storing hierarchical data with full efficiency.
  • It has the power to handle complex queries and yield results even when data is very large.
  • SQL always takes care of data integrity and hence maintains the correctness of the data.

Why do SQL Developers have a bright future?

SQL is an ever-growing technology and has got no visible end. It finds its applications in not only computer science or the IT sector, but SQL has its presence everywhere.

Some of the industries where SQL is used extensively are as follows :

  • Retail to maintain the inventory
  • Hospitals to store and manage the data of the patients.
  • Research to deal with the huge influxes of data.
  • Public sectors to maintain the records of services

And the list goes on and on. With this, you can easily understand that SQL has got no upcoming dead end as of now.

Keeping all this aside, some of the characteristics which SQL has got that make it immortal are as follows:

  • Ability to combine data rooms with various resources.
  • Continuous integration with new technologies makes it everlasting.
  • Ability to maintain data integrity even if a large volume of data is present in the database.
  • Has ever-increasing demand in the industry as it is widely used in ML and Big Data environments.
  • It is the building block of any type of data visualization tool.
  • The simplicity of usage and the rich user interface makes it a preferable choice for consumers.
  • SQL is the standard language for database system management by various standardizing societies.

Summary

In this tutorial, we have understood in detail the future of SQL. We have started with what SQL is and what are the possible problems it could face. Further, we have seen the properties of SQL which make it a strong contender in the industry. We also saw the comparison between SQL and NoSQL.

Moving further, we have highlighted the characteristics of SQL which make it immortal even in these competitive times. SQL has been used for the last 30 years and is a standard when it comes to dealing with databases.

And thus, keeping all the facts in mind we can say that SQL has got a bright future. We have already seen in the previous articles that SQL professionals are highly paid individuals in the technological industry.