Query Language
Query language refers to a specialized type of programming language designed for making requests to computer databases or collections of digitized records to retrieve information. With over 2,000 computer programming languages in existence, query languages serve as a means to interface between users and databases, ranging from simple applications like searching an online library catalog to more complex operations utilized by search engines such as Google and Bing.
There are two main categories of query languages: database query languages, which focus on providing factual answers, and information retrieval query languages, aimed at locating relevant documents. Query languages can be user-friendly, allowing individuals without technical expertise to access and manipulate data efficiently. Common modes of query language include menus, fill-in-the-blank queries, and structured queries, with Structured Query Language (SQL) being one of the most recognized examples. SQL is particularly popular for its use of intuitive commands that facilitate database interactions.
Emerging technologies have led to the development of more sophisticated query languages, such as Contextual Query Language (CQL), which aims to bridge the gap between human and computer language. This evolution is particularly relevant in fields like artificial intelligence and computational linguistics, as it enhances the way users engage with computer systems for information retrieval.
Query Language
Query language is a type of computer programming language used to make queries into computer databases or collections of digitized records for the purpose of retrieving information. More than 2,000 computer programming languages exist, with each language used to express a specific set of instructions for a computer. Query languages and their interfaces, or software that facilitates communication between a computer and user, can be simple or complex. A well-known example of query language is the programming used for search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Query language is also used for simpler tasks such as searching an online library catalog or indexing the content of a website. Aside from processing simple calculative functions, query language can also program a database or information system to process requests made in natural (human) language.
What Is Query Language?
A query is a single request entered into a computer database that involves connecting user input to database or information system contents. Query languages are divided into database query languages and information retrieval query languages. Database query language is programmed to give factual answers to factual questions. Information retrieval query language is programmed to find documents containing information relevant to the query. Since a query language can be programmed to perform specific tasks, multiple query languages exist in the computer-programming world.
Depending on the programming, query language designates how information is organized. Based on the type of database or information retrieval program, a query language can structure a computer system to process complex information or to undertake functional computational tasks. Early query languages were very complex and could only be used by trained professionals. Modern query language interfaces are more user-friendly and allow practically anyone to program the language and access information without assistance.
Query Language Modes
The main types of query language modes are menus, fill-in-the-blank queries, and structured queries. Menus are the simplest mode utilizing query language, and they require a user to select from a list of options displayed on the monitor. Menus are often found on professional websites and allow a person to navigate a web page to find the information they are seeking. Menus also give users the option to refine a query based on a given set of options, so they can narrow down the results of a query. Digitized library catalogs often utilize menus to allow users to specify that their query item is an author, title, genre, or other descriptor. Menus can appear as a set of clickable options in a filter panel, which is a tool that allows users to select options to filter query results.
Fill-in-the-blank queries involve users typing in words or phrases as search statements. This mode is the primary language of Internet search engines, which return a wide range of query results based on the user’s search statements. Several search engines have invented their own query language to meet their desired database needs.
Structured queries involve relational databases, or computer databases that recognize connections between items of information. Structured Query Language (SQL) is a commonly utilized language of structured queries. It stems from database manipulation research from the 1970s. SQL has long been the most popular query language used to access information. This mode of query language is popular because it utilizes basic human language to optimize database search results. SQL commands explain what a query is supposed to do or find. A few of the most basic SQL commands include "find," "print," "select," "delete," and "sum." SQL is made up of about sixty commands, all of which make different requests to databases. Although SQL has many different commands that help it perform a number of functions, it is not a complete language and cannot create entire programs. SQL has been enhanced over the years to keep up with changing technology. However, new technology has made other query languages more practical for some database management.
Query languages are sometimes programmed to respond to natural language, or the language of humans. An example of this type of query language is Contextual Query Language (CQL). The objective of CQL is that the query language is readable and writable to humans. The language is also intuitive and returns accurate information despite its complexity. CQL is considered a hybrid query language that uses both simple and complex programming to retrieve information from computer systems. The interaction between human language and computer language is often studied in computational linguistics as it applies to the field of artificial intelligence.
Bibliography
"CQL: The Contextual Query Language." LOC. Library of Congress, 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <http://www.loc.gov/standards/sru/cql/#bnf>. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
"Introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL)—Part 1." University of Delaware. University of Delaware, n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <http://www.udel.edu/evelyn/SQL-Class1/SQLclass1All.html>. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Nash, Fahiemah, et al. Computer Programming. South Africa: Pearson, 2009. Print.
"Natural Language Processing." Microsoft Research. Microsoft, 2015. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/groups/nlp/>. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
"Query Language Reference (Version 0.7)." Google Developers. Google, 26 May 2015. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <https://developers.google.com/chart/interactive/docs/querylanguage?hl=en#overview>. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Schlemmer, Ann. "The 50th Anniversary of SQL: How It Defined Our Approach to Data." Forbes, 3 June 2024, www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/06/03/the-50th-anniversary-of-sql-how-it-defined-our-approach-to-data/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Schweikardt, Nicole, et al. "Database Theory: Query Languages." Algorithms and Theory of Computation Handbook.2nd ed. Eds. Mikhail J. Atallah and Marina Blanton. Boca Raton: Chapman & Hall, 2010. 19. Print.
"Structured Query Language (SQL)." Microsoft: Developer Network. Microsoft, 28 Feb. 2023, msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms714670(v=VS.85).aspx. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.