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SQL is a functional programming language. No other imperative programming model will be cleaner or clearer in expressing intent. But, you have to understand SQL

by cty 7y ago

SQL is a functional programming language. No other imperative programming model will be cleaner or clearer in expressing intent. But, you have to understand SQL to begin with.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
codetrotter 7y ago
Did you mean to say declarative? That’s what makes it clear in intent isn’t it? That it’s declarative. Whether or not SQL is also functional is orthogonal to that isn’t it?
- chasd00 7y ago
  further, afaik there's no assignment nor iteration in SQL. it's not a programming language at all. It's a.. query language.
  - yellowapple 7y ago
    I'd consider INSERTs and UPDATEs to technically be "assignment", even if they're very different from how other languages do it. Some SQL dialects do support both traditional variable assignment and iteration for those cases where an iterative/imperative approach makes more sense than trying to shoehorn the problem into something set-based / declarative. Some limit them to stored procedures (e.g. Postgres, and AFAICT Db2), while others allow them pretty much anywhere (e.g. SQL Server / T-SQL).
  - SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago
    I tend to lump it in as a "logic programming" language, along with Prolog and Datalog.
  - taffer 7y ago
    > further, afaik there's no assignment nor iteration in SQL That was until CTEs were introduced in SQL:1999 > it's not a programming language at all. It's a.. query language. The two are not mutually exclusive. SQL is used to tell a computer what to do, and it is very powerful at it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTPGW1PNy_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTPGW1PNy_Y
rgoulter 7y ago
One feature I'd expect a functional programming language to have is functions as 'first class'. (e.g. can pass as input to higher order functions). But e.g. PostgreSQL doesn't have functions as a datatype. https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype.html https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype.html So, uh, SQL isn't 'functional', right?
tmountain 7y ago
While there's no formal definition of functional programming (that I know of at least), SQL doesn't support higher order functions, which are fundamental to all functional programming languages. That said, it's definitely declarative.
paulddraper 7y ago
Depends what you mean by "programming". But virtually all query languages are declarative; e.g. GraphQL.

by cty 7y ago

SQL is a functional programming language. No other imperative programming model will be cleaner or clearer in expressing intent. But, you have to understand SQL to begin with.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

codetrotter 7y ago

Did you mean to say declarative? That’s what makes it clear in intent isn’t it? That it’s declarative. Whether or not SQL is also functional is orthogonal to that isn’t it?

chasd00 7y ago
further, afaik there's no assignment nor iteration in SQL. it's not a programming language at all. It's a.. query language.
- yellowapple 7y ago
  I'd consider INSERTs and UPDATEs to technically be "assignment", even if they're very different from how other languages do it. Some SQL dialects do support both traditional variable assignment and iteration for those cases where an iterative/imperative approach makes more sense than trying to shoehorn the problem into something set-based / declarative. Some limit them to stored procedures (e.g. Postgres, and AFAICT Db2), while others allow them pretty much anywhere (e.g. SQL Server / T-SQL).
- SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago
  I tend to lump it in as a "logic programming" language, along with Prolog and Datalog.
- taffer 7y ago
  > further, afaik there's no assignment nor iteration in SQL That was until CTEs were introduced in SQL:1999 > it's not a programming language at all. It's a.. query language. The two are not mutually exclusive. SQL is used to tell a computer what to do, and it is very powerful at it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTPGW1PNy_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTPGW1PNy_Y

rgoulter 7y ago

One feature I'd expect a functional programming language to have is functions as 'first class'. (e.g. can pass as input to higher order functions). But e.g. PostgreSQL doesn't have functions as a datatype. https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype.html https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype.html So, uh, SQL isn't 'functional', right?

tmountain 7y ago

While there's no formal definition of functional programming (that I know of at least), SQL doesn't support higher order functions, which are fundamental to all functional programming languages. That said, it's definitely declarative.

paulddraper 7y ago

Depends what you mean by "programming". But virtually all query languages are declarative; e.g. GraphQL.