If Not SQL, Then What?

If Not SQL, Then What?

In a recent blog post, I chided the NoSQL movement for naming itself after the absence of something. But not only is this naming approach for a broad market category rather silly, it?s also somewhat off-topic, since the story really isn?t simply about rejecting SQL. After all, the NoSQL movement essentially consists of a family of nonrelational database management systems. ?But I guess nonrelational just didn?t have the same buzziness as NoSQL.

Be that as it may, the NoSQL movement also eschews SQL itself?the venerable Structured Query Language, invented in the 1970s for relational databases and standardized in 1986. Yes, SQL is long in the tooth. It?s probably older than 90% of the people reading this post. And SQL is for relational databases. NoSQL databases are nonrelational, so we need to replace SQL. Fair enough. The question of the day, of course, is what to replace it with.

There is no shortage of contenders. Many of the NoSQL databases support their own query language, like CQL (Cassandra Query Language) for Cassandra, Pig for Hadoop, ECL (Enterprise Control Language) for HPCC, and GQL for the Google App Engine datastore. Graph databases also have their own query languages. Even though graph databases fall into the NoSQL bucket, they?re quite different from their document-centric brethren, and thus you would expect to query them differently. Graph-centric query languages include Neo4j Cypher.

But what everybody really wants is one query language to rule them all?or at least, one for the document-centric engines and one for the graph-centric alternatives. Filling this void are UnQL (pronounced uncle) and Gremlin, respectively. Couchbase, Microsoft, and SQLite are spearheading UnQL, while DEX, Infinigraph, and Neo4j are among the many names who support Gremlin. Left out in the cold as far as a standard query language, at least for now: name-value pair centric database engines like Cassandra, HBase, and Riak.

Clearly, the dust has yet to settle on the NoSQL query language marketplace. But the variety of contenders is only part of the problem. A larger issue, one the market has yet to tackle, is that most of these query language alternatives are intentionally similar to SQL. They all tend to have SELECT, INSERT, and UPDATE statements, for example, and some of them even have JOINs. The reasoning behind this approach is to support people who know SQL. Theoretically, a SQL expert would be able to transition to a NoSQL query language without much trouble.

I challenge that conclusion. Throwing out the gauntlet here?how about we create one or more NoSQL query languages that look nothing at all like SQL, but are rather designed from the ground up to support the architectural context for NoSQL databases? In other words, what should a Cloud-centric NoSQL query language look like? Perhaps we haven?t even begun to explore the true meaning of NoSQL.

?

devx-admin

devx-admin

Share the Post:
Razer Discount

Unbelievable Razer Blade 17 Discount

On September 24, 2023, it was reported that Razer, a popular brand in the premium gaming laptop industry, is offering an exceptional deal on their

Innovation Ignition

New Fintech Innovation Ignites Change

The fintech sector continues to attract substantial interest, as demonstrated by a dedicated fintech stage at a recent event featuring panel discussions and informal conversations

Import Easing

Easing Import Rules for Big Tech

India has chosen to ease its proposed restrictions on imports of laptops, tablets, and other IT hardware, allowing manufacturers like Apple Inc., HP Inc., and

Anthropic Investment

Amazon’s Bold Anthropic Investment

On Monday, Amazon announced its plan to invest up to $4 billion in the AI firm Anthropic, acquiring a minority stake in the process. This

Razer Discount

Unbelievable Razer Blade 17 Discount

On September 24, 2023, it was reported that Razer, a popular brand in the premium gaming laptop industry, is offering an exceptional deal on their Razer Blade 17 model. Typically

Innovation Ignition

New Fintech Innovation Ignites Change

The fintech sector continues to attract substantial interest, as demonstrated by a dedicated fintech stage at a recent event featuring panel discussions and informal conversations with industry professionals. The gathering,

Import Easing

Easing Import Rules for Big Tech

India has chosen to ease its proposed restrictions on imports of laptops, tablets, and other IT hardware, allowing manufacturers like Apple Inc., HP Inc., and Dell Technologies Inc. more time

Semiconductor Stock Plummet

Dramatic Downturn in Semiconductor Stocks Looms

Recent events show that the S&P Semiconductors Select Industry Index seems to be experiencing a downturn, which could result in a decline in semiconductor stocks. Known as a key indicator

Anthropic Investment

Amazon’s Bold Anthropic Investment

On Monday, Amazon announced its plan to invest up to $4 billion in the AI firm Anthropic, acquiring a minority stake in the process. This decision demonstrates Amazon’s commitment to

AI Experts Get Hired

Tech Industry Rehiring Wave: AI Experts Wanted

A few months ago, Big Tech companies were downsizing their workforce, but currently, many are considering rehiring some of these employees, especially in popular fields such as artificial intelligence. The

Lagos Migration

Middle-Class Migration: Undermining Democracy?

As the middle class in Lagos, Nigeria, increasingly migrates to private communities, a PhD scholar from a leading technology institute has been investigating the impact of this development on democratic

AI Software Development

ChatGPT is Now Making Video Games

Pietro Schirano’s foray into using ChatGPT, an AI tool for programming, has opened up new vistas in game and software development. As design lead at business finance firm Brex, Schirano

Llama Codebot

Developers! Here’s Your Chatbot

Meta Platforms has recently unveiled Code Llama, a free chatbot designed to aid developers in crafting coding scripts. This large language model (LLM), developed using Meta’s Llama 2 model, serves

Tech Layoffs

Unraveling the Tech Sector’s Historic Job Losses

Throughout 2023, the tech sector has experienced a record-breaking number of job losses, impacting tens of thousands of workers across various companies, including well-established corporations and emerging startups in areas

Chinese 5G Limitation

Germany Considers Limiting Chinese 5G Tech

A recent report has put forth the possibility that Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community may consider limiting the use of Chinese 5G technology by local network providers

Modern Warfare

The Barak Tank is Transforming Modern Warfare

The Barak tank is a groundbreaking addition to the Israeli Defense Forces’ arsenal, significantly enhancing their combat capabilities. This AI-powered military vehicle is expected to transform the way modern warfare

AI Cheating Growth

AI Plagiarism Challenges Shake Academic Integrity

As generative AI technologies like ChatGPT become increasingly prevalent among students and raise concerns about widespread cheating, prominent universities have halted their use of AI detection software, such as Turnitin’s

US Commitment

US Approves Sustainable Battery Research

The US Department of Energy has revealed a $325 million commitment in the research of innovative battery types, designed to enable solar and wind power as continuous, 24-hour energy sources.

Netanyahu Musk AI

Netanyahu and Musk Discuss AI Future

On September 22, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with entrepreneur Elon Musk in San Francisco prior to attending the United Nations. In a live-streamed discussion, Netanyahu lauded Musk

Urban Gardening

Creating Thriving Cities Through Urban Gardening

The rising popularity of urban gardening is receiving increased recognition for its numerous advantages, as demonstrated in a recent study featured in the Environmental Research Letters journal. Carried out by

What You Need to Know About Cloud Security Strategies

What You Need to Know About Cloud Security Strategies

Today, many businesses are adopting cloud computing services. As a result, it’s important to recognize that security measures for data in the cloud are different from those in traditional on-premises

Romanian Energy Security

Eastern Europe is Achieving Energy Security

Canada and Romania have solidified their commitment to energy security and independence from Russian energy exports by signing a $3-billion export development agreement. The deal is centered on constructing two

Seamless Integration

Unlocking Seamless Smart Home Integration

The vision of an intelligently organized and interconnected smart home that conserves time, energy, and resources has long been desired by many homeowners. However, this aspiration has often been hindered

New Algorithm

MicroAlgo’s Groundbreaking Algorithm

MicroAlgo Inc. has revealed the creation of a knowledge-augmented backtracking search algorithm, developed through extensive research in evolutionary computational techniques. The algorithm is designed to boost problem-solving effectiveness, precision, and

Poland Energy Future

Westinghouse Builds Polish Power Plant

Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel have come together to establish a formal partnership in order to design and construct Poland’s inaugural nuclear power plant at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in Pomerania.

EV Labor Market

EV Industry Hurting For Skilled Labor

The United Auto Workers strike has highlighted the anticipated change towards a future dominated by electric vehicles (EVs), a shift which numerous people think will result in job losses. However,