In this chapter, as well as in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, we study the most widely used database query language, SQL. Although we refer to the SQL language as a “query language,” it can do much more than just query a database. It can define the structure of the data, modify data in the database, and specify security constraints. It is not our intention to provide a complete users’ guide for SQL. Rather, we present SQL’s fundamental constructs and concepts. Individual implementations of SQL may dif