>Variable declaration at the beginning of a function is also a common pattern What language requires you to declare variables at the beginning? C even stopped

>Variable declaration at the beginning of a function is also a common pattern What language requires you to declare variables at the beginning? C even stopped doing that. People choose to do that, but ime that's after the writing phase, to make it more readable >When you write a program, you may not know what libraries you need Sort of -- the difference is that when I'm writing code in my IDE, I know all database objects available to me. It's in the schema. A library I import once (to the project itself), and the IDE can always assist from then-on. But SQL is designed such that despite the library (schema) being imported, the IDE can't actually assist, unless I write the code out of order (eg start with SELECT * FROM table and then start working) >However, once it clicks, it's fits naturally with how a relational db works I think you've misunderstood the complaint -- the relational language is a very strong concept, which has stood the test of time, and is difficult to complain about -- it does its job well, and fits naturally with how a relational db works. SQL the language however is: A hodgepodge of random keywords tossed about in a totally inconsistent fashion (eg postgres overlay: OVERLAY('Txxxxas' PLACING 'hom' FROM 2 FOR 4) -- postgres at least generally offers a consistent comma-separated syntax for every functions has weird and technically unnecessary limitations (like SELECT being evaluated after the WHERE clause, so you can't use the aliases defined in select clause) putting SELECT before the FROM (disabling IDE auto-complete support) the stuffing of a 3-value logic system into a 2-value logic interface, so boolean operations break silently and produce nonsense in the face of a database with NULL values, because no mapping of NOT (TRUE, FALSE, NULL) AND NULL makes sense. [0] It generally composes very poorly, leading to redundant, long and convoluted queries The MODEL is fantastic -- the language is not. [0] https://sigmodrecord.org/publications/sigmodRecord/1709/pdfs/03_principles_Guagliardo.pdf https://sigmodrecord.org/publications/sigmodRecord/1709/pdfs...