Fourth Edition

A Guide to
the SQL Standard
A user's guide to
i
the standard database language SQL
Fachbereichsbibliothek Informatik
TU Darmstadt

C J. Date
with

Hugh Darwen

Technische Universitat Darmstadt

FACHBEREICH INFORMATIK

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ADDISON-WESLEY
An imprint of Addison-Wesiey Longman, Inc.
Reading, Massachusetts Harlow, England ^Menlo Park, California Berkeley, California
Don Mills, Ontario Sydney Bonn Amsterdam Tokyo Mexico City

Contents

PART I

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER l / Why SQL Is Important

1.1 Background
3
1.2 Is a standard desirable?

CHAPTER 2 / An Overview of SQL

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9

Introduction
-9
Data definition
11
Data manipulation
13
Cursor operations
16
Views
18
Security and integrity
20
Recovery and concurrency
22
Schemas and catalogs
23
Sessions and connections
25

xvi

Contents

PART II

SOME PRELIMINARIES

CHAPTER 3 / Basic Language Elements

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6

SQL language characters

29
Tokens and separators
30
Key words
31
Identifiers and names
33
Scope of names
35
Notation
37

CHAPTER 4 / Catalogs and Schemas

4.1 The SQL-environment
4.2 Catalogs
42
4.3 Schemas
43

49

SQL-agents
49
SQL-connections
51
SQL-sessions
54
SQL-transactions
56

CHAPTER

6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4

41

41

CHAPTER 5 / Connections, Sessions, and Transactions

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4

29

6 / Binding Styles

Introduction
63
The module language
Embedded SQL
71
Direct SQL
74

63
63

PART III DATA DEFINITION AND MANIPULATION

CHAPTER 7 / Scalar Objects, Operators, and Expressions

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Datatypes

79
81

79

Contents

7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6

Literals
84
Scalar operators and functions
Aggregate functions
92
Assignments and comparisons

85
95

CHAPTER 8 / Data Definition: Domains and Base Tables

99

8.1 Introduction
99
8.2 Domains
100
8.3 Base tables
103

CHAPTER 9 / Data Manipulation: Noncursor Operations

9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5

109

Introduction
109
Single-row SELECT
110
INSERT
111
Searched UPDATE
113
Searched DELETE
114

CHAPTER io / Data Manipulation: Cursor Operations

10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5

Introduction
115
Cursors
116
Cursor-based manipulation statements
121
A comprehensive example (module version)
124
A comprehensive example (embedded SQL version)

CHAPTER l l / Table Expressions

11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7

Introduction
133
Join expressions
135
Table references
137
Unions, differences, and intersections
Table primaries
148
Select expressions
150
Derived table column names
161

115

128

133

144

Contents

CHAPTER 12 / Conditional Expressions

12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.6
12.7
12.8
12.9

Introduction
165
General remarks
167
Comparison conditions
168
BETWEEN and LIKE conditions
169
IN and MATCH conditions
171
ALL-or-ANY conditions
176
EXISTS conditions
176
UNIQUE conditions
177
A final remark
178

CHAPTER 13 / Views
13.1
13.2
13.3
13.4

165

179

Introduction
179
Data definition operations
}82
Data manipulation operations
184
The check option
187

PART IV DATA CONTROL

CHAPTER 14 / Integrity
14.1
14.2
14.3
14.4
14.5
14.6

Introduction
197
Domain constraints
200
General constraints
202
Base table and column constraints
204
Foreign keys
210
Deferred constraint checking
216

CHAPTER 15 / Security
i

15.1
15.2
15.3
15.4
15.5
15.6

197

Introduction
219
Authorization identifiers
220
Privileges and access rules
222
GRANT and REVOKE
224
The grant option
227
RESTRICT vs. CASCADE
228

219

Contents

PART V ADVANCED TOPICS

CHAPTER

16.1
16.2
16.3
16.4
16.5
16.6

16 / Missing Information and Nulls

233

Introduction
233
Effect of nulls on scalar expressions
235
Effect of nulls on conditional expressions
239
Effect of nulls on table expressions
248
Effect of nulls on integrity constraints
253
A recommendation
257

CHAPTER 17 / Dates and Times

17.1
17.2
17.3
17.4
17.5
17.6
17.7

Introduction
259
Datatypes
259
Literals
263
Time zones
265
Data conversion
270
Scalar operators and functions
Assignments and comparisons

259

272
276

CHAPTER 18 / Temporary Tables

18.1 Introduction
281
18.2 Type 1: "Declared" temporary tables
282
18.3 Types 2 and 3: "Created" temporary tables

CHAPTER 19 / Character Data

19.1
19.2
19.3
19.4
19.5
19.6
19.7
19.8

Introduction
285
Properties of character strings
287
Character sets and collations
288
Datatypes
292
Literals
293
Scalar operators and functions
295
Assignments and comparisons
298
Character sets for identifiers
305

281

283

285

xx

Contents

CHAPTER 20 / Dynamic SQL

20.1
20.2
20.3
20.4
20.5
20.6

309

Introduction
309
What is the problem?
312
Statement preparation and execution
SQL descriptor areas
322
Cursor operations
331
Session defaults
337

314

CHAPTER 21 / Information Schemas

21.1 Introduction
339
21.2 Information Schema tables

CHAPTER

339
341

22 / Exception Handling

22.1 Status codes

347
22.2 The diagnostics area

347

350

CHAPTER 23 / Call-Level Interface

23.1
23.2
23.3
23.4
23.5
23.6
23.7
23.8
23.9
23.10
23.11

353

Introduction
353
What is the problem?
355
CLI routines and parameters
357
CLI resources and related matters
361
Statement preparation and execution
365
CLI descriptor areas
366
Placeholders
369
Retrieval operations
372
Exception handling
376
A sample "SQLCLI.H" file
377
A sample CLI application
389

APPENDIXES
APPENDIX A / An SQL Grammar
A.I Introduction
395
A.2 Sessions, connections, and transactions

395
397

Contents

A.3
A.4
A.5
A.6
A.7
A.8
A.9
A.10
A.ll
A.12

Data definition
398
Modules
400
Data manipulation
401
Table expressions
402
Conditional expressions
403
Constraints
404
Dynamic SQL
405
Scalar expressions
406
GET DIAGNOSTICS
407
Miscellaneous
410

APPENDIX B / Language Levels and Conformance

B.I
B.2
B.3
B.4

411

Introduction
411
Intermediate SQL
412
Entry SQL
414
SQLflagger
416

APPENDIX C / SQL/92 vs. SQL/89

C.I
C.2
C.3
C.4

xxi

419

Introduction
419
Extensions
419
Incompatibilities
422
Deprecated features
425

APPENDIX D / Some Outstanding Issues

427

D.I Introduction
427
D.2 The issues
429 /
APPENDIX E

E.I
E.2
E.3
E.4
E.5
E.6
E.7
E.8
E.9

/ Persistent Stored Modules

Introduction
453
Overview
456
Routines, modules, and schemas
467
Type precedence
472
Subject routine determination
474
SQL control statements
476
Exception handling
483
External routines
487
Miscellaneous topics
491

453

xxii

Contents

APPENDIX F / An Overview of SQL3

F.I
F.2
F.3
F.4
F.5
F.6

Introduction
495
Data definition and manipulation
Functions and operators
502
Integrity
506
Security
507
Transactions
507

495
497

APPENDIX G / References and Bibliography

509

Index

513