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Is SQL a context free language or some other type of language?
426
asked Oct 27 '14 19:10
Differences between SQL and Python The fundamental difference is that SQL is a query language primarily used for accessing and extracting data, whereas Python is a general-purpose programming language that enables experimentation with the data.
Given the definition of a programming language as having a certain vocabulary and a specific syntax, SQL definitely qualifies as a programming language. However, it does not qualify as a General Purpose Language (GPL) and is, in fact, a Domain-Specific Language (DSL).
According to https://stackoverflow.com/a/31265136 SQL is not a regular language. The short explanation is that each select query looks like
SELECT x FROM y WHERE z
and y can be another select query itself, so it cannot be simulated with finite-state machine. As mentioned before, there are some CFGs for SQL standarts in Backus–Naur Form, thereby SQL is nonregular context free language.
52
answered Sep 23 '22 23:09
@aquinas wrote:
Do you mean is SQL also regular? CFG's encompass regular languages. So, they aren't mutually exclusive. To answer your question though, SQL is not a regular language.
@MSX wrote:
Just to clarify, a language is context-free when it is generated by a context-free grammar. There're SQL context-free grammar definitions online. Just google around and you'll find some. Here's one, for example.
44
answered Sep 26 '22 23:09
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