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I wish developers would stop copying SQL. It's like making fancy new languages, and then adding libraries that help you emulate COBOL. SQL is not the first, the

I wish developers would stop copying SQL. It's like making fancy new languages, and then adding libraries that help you emulate COBOL. SQL is not the first, the last, or the best query language ever created, it's just the best marketed. It's not even properly relational, it's based on a series of shell scripts on multics for crying out loud!

alexchamberlain 14y ago
Is this not more similar to XPath?
delinka 14y ago
Please provide some substance to your post. What other options exist? What are some references you've used to work with those options?
- ZenPsycho 14y ago
  Well back when SQL was first created, there was a superior alternative named QUEL. Fast forward to today, and with the proliferation of programming languages that easily support high level concepts, it doesn't take that much imagination to think of better ways of dealing with large relation-values. linq for example. Going along a different direction, the language Prolog, and its much improved derivative Mercury take the concept of query languages to really amazingly awesome places. The quite well done software package PrinceXML was written in Mercury. Edit: I also want to add Datalog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datalog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datalog and list comprehensions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_comprehensions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_comprehensions
  - pygy_ 14y ago
    The main advantage of SQL(ike) is that it is familiar, and allows a lot of people to be productive quickly. It's a shame that QUEL lost to SQL. Betamax vs. VHS, all over again.
    - ZenPsycho 14y ago
      I'm all for empowering people to do useful work, but when you're empowering them to do stupid things that will have to be rewritten later, it's less good.
arethuza 14y ago
"I wish developers would stop copying SQL" This really doesn't look much like SQL to me - much more like an interesting variation on XPath... Why do you think it is a copy of SQL?
- ZenPsycho 14y ago
  Sorry, my comment really should have been a reply to the SQL-Like post.

alexchamberlain 14y ago

Is this not more similar to XPath?

delinka 14y ago

Please provide some substance to your post. What other options exist? What are some references you've used to work with those options?

ZenPsycho 14y ago
Well back when SQL was first created, there was a superior alternative named QUEL. Fast forward to today, and with the proliferation of programming languages that easily support high level concepts, it doesn't take that much imagination to think of better ways of dealing with large relation-values. linq for example. Going along a different direction, the language Prolog, and its much improved derivative Mercury take the concept of query languages to really amazingly awesome places. The quite well done software package PrinceXML was written in Mercury. Edit: I also want to add Datalog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datalog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datalog and list comprehensions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_comprehensions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_comprehensions
- pygy_ 14y ago
  The main advantage of SQL(ike) is that it is familiar, and allows a lot of people to be productive quickly. It's a shame that QUEL lost to SQL. Betamax vs. VHS, all over again.
  - ZenPsycho 14y ago
    I'm all for empowering people to do useful work, but when you're empowering them to do stupid things that will have to be rewritten later, it's less good.

arethuza 14y ago

"I wish developers would stop copying SQL" This really doesn't look much like SQL to me - much more like an interesting variation on XPath... Why do you think it is a copy of SQL?

ZenPsycho 14y ago
Sorry, my comment really should have been a reply to the SQL-Like post.