SQL is declarative: you tell the RDBMS what you want and its job is to do it. That's how SQL is and how it's always been. A better RDBMS will optimise the execu

SQL is declarative: you tell the RDBMS what you want and its job is to do it. That's how SQL is and how it's always been. A better RDBMS will optimise the execution plan for you. The point about indexing is somewhat valid, but that's an integral part of schema design and something one should define from the outset based on the data's intended use. By 'explicit', what I presume the author to mean is 'transparent'. I agree that development processes should be transparent, but I don't necessarily agree that imperative is better than declarative. Indeed, the use case for SQL is data manipulation and analysis; arguably that doesn't come under the remit of 'development', even though programming is involved. Hence the prerequisite of a properly setup schema by someone who knows what they're doing! Declarative languages definitely have their place.