DBMS Language

Once data is stored or filled it requires manipulation like insertion, deletion,

updating, and modification of data.

The different types of DBMS languages are as follows

– Data Definition Language (DDL) − Create, Drop, Truncate, Rename.
– Data Manipulation language (DML) − Select, Insert, Delete, Update.
– Data Control Language (DCL) − Revoke, Grant.
– Transaction Control Language (TCL) − Rollback, Commit.

Data Definition Language (DDL)

The data definition language is the language used to define and change the conceptual
schema of the database. DDL permits the DBA or customer to represent and name the
entities,attributes and relationships needed for the function, together with any related integrity
and security constraints.

Data Definition Language (DDL)

• CREATE - to create a database and its objects like (table,

index, views, store procedure, function, and triggers)
• ALTER - alters the structure of the existing database
• DROP - delete objects from the database
• TRUNCATE - remove all records from a table, including all
spaces allocated for the records are removed
• COMMENT - add comments to the data dictionary
• RENAME - rename an object

Data Manipulation Language (DML)

• The data manipulation language (DML) is the language

used at the conceptual and view level to retrieve, insert,
delete and modify information stored in the database.
• Deals with data manipulation and includes most common
SQL statements such SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE,
DELETE, etc., and it is used to store, modify, retrieve,
delete and update data in a database.

Commands:
• SELECT - retrieve data from a database
• INSERT - insert data into a table
• UPDATE - updates existing data within a table
• DELETE - Delete all records from a database table
• MERGE - UPSERT operation (insert or update)
Data Control Language

• This command is used to grant and revoke authorization of

database access, auditing the database user, and handling
transaction.
• DCL is used to access the stored data. Mostly concerned
with rights, permissions and other controls of the database
system.

Commands:
• GRANT - allow users access privileges to the database
• REVOKE - withdraw users access privileges given by using
the GRANT command

Transaction Control Language

• TCL is used to run the modification made through

the DML statement.
•TCL can be arranged into a logical transaction.
• Deals with a transaction within a database.

Commands:
• COMMIT - commits a Transaction
• ROLLBACK - rollback a transaction in case of
any error occurs

INTERFACES

• User-friendly interfaces provided by a DBMS may include the following:

– Menu-based Interfaces for Web Clients or Browsing

– Apps for Mobile Devices
– Forms-based Interfaces
– Graphical User Interfaces
– Natural Language Interfaces
– Keyword-based Database Search
– Speech Input and Output
– Interfaces for Parametric Users
– Interfaces for the DBA
Menu-based Interfaces for Web Clients or Browsing

• These interfaces present the user with lists of options (called menus) that lead the user
through the formulation of a request. Menus do away with the need to memorize the specific
commands and syntax of a query language; rather, the query is composed step-by step by
picking options from a menu that is displayed by the system.

Menu-based Interfaces for Web Clients or Browsing

• Pull-down menus are a very popular technique in Web-based user interfaces. They are
also often used in browsing interfaces, which allow a user to look through the contents of
a database in an exploratory and unstructured manner.

Apps for Mobile Devices

• These interfaces present mobile users with access to their data.

• For example, banking, reservations, and insurance companies, among many others,
provide apps that allow users to access their data through a mobile phone or mobile
device.
• The apps have built-in programmed interfaces that typically allow users to login using
their account name and password; the apps then provide a limited menu of options for mobile
access to the user data, as well as options such as paying bills (for banks) or making
reservations (for reservation Web sites).

Forms-based Interfaces

• A forms-based interface displays a form to each user.

• Users can fill out all of the form entries to insert new data, or they can fill out only certain
entries, in which case the DBMS will retrieve matching data for the remaining entries.
Forms are usually designed and programmed for naive users as interfaces to canned
transactions.
• Many DBMSs have forms specification languages, which are special languages that help
programmers specify such forms
• Forms is a form-based language that specifies queries using a form designed in
conjunction with the relational database schema. Some systems have utilities that define a
form by letting the end user interactively construct a sample form on the screen.

Graphical user interfaces

• A GUI typically displays a schema to the user in diagrammatic form. The user then can
specify a query by manipulating the diagram. In many cases, GUIs utilize both menus and
forms.
Natural language interface

• These interfaces accept requests written in English or some other language and
attempt to understand them.
• A natural language interface usually has its own schema, which is similar to the database
conceptual schema, as well as a dictionary of important words. The natural language interface
refers to the words in its schema, as well as to the set of standard words in its dictionary,
that are used to interpret the request.
• If the interpretation is successful, the interface generates a high-level query
corresponding to the natural language request and submits it to the DBMS for
processing; otherwise, a dialogue is started with the user to clarify the request.

Keyword-based Database Search

• These are somewhat similar to Web search engines, which accept strings of natural
language (like English or Spanish) words and match them with documents at specific sites (for
local search engines) or Web pages on the Web at large (for engines like Google or Ask).
• They use predefined indexes on words and use ranking functions to retrieve and
present resulting documents in a decreasing degree of match. Such “free form” textual
query interfaces are not yet common in structured relational databases, although a research
area called keyword-based querying has emerged recently for relational databases.

Speech input and output

• Limited use of speech as an input query and speech as an answer to a question or result
of a request is becoming commonplace.
• Applications with limited vocabularies, such as inquiries for telephone directory, flight
arrival/departure, and credit card account information, are allowing speech for input and output
to enable customers to access this information.
• The speech input is detected using a library of predefined words and used to set up the
parameters that are supplied to the queries. For output, a similar conversion from text or
numbers into speech takes place.

Interfaces for Parametric Users

• Parametric users, such as bank tellers, often have a small set of operations that they must
perform repeatedly.
• For example, a teller is able to use single function keys to invoke routine and repetitive
transactions such as account deposits or withdrawals, or balance inquiries.
• Systems analysts and programmers design and implement a special interface for each
known class of naive users. Usually a small set of abbreviated commands is included, with
the goal of minimizing the number of keystrokes required for each request.
Interfaces for the DBA

• Most database systems contain privileged commands that can be used only by the DBA
staff. These include commands for creating accounts, setting system parameters, granting
account authorization, changing a schema, and reorganizing the storage structures of a
database.