Concepts

Structured Query Language (SQL)

The standard language for querying and managing data in relational databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite.

What is Structured Query Language (SQL)?

SQL is the language you use to talk to relational databases.

It lets you query data, update records, create tables, and manage everything stored in databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQLite. You write commands like SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE to pull or modify data.

Most builders use SQL daily to build features that need persistent data storage. Whether you're building a SaaS dashboard, an AI agent that needs to remember context, or an analytics tool, you'll write SQL to get the data you need. Modern ORMs like Prisma or Drizzle generate SQL for you, but knowing raw SQL helps you optimize queries and debug performance issues.

Free and open source. Every major database supports it, though each has slight syntax variations. Learning SQL once means you can work with almost any database.

Good to Know

Works with all major relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server)
Core commands: SELECT (read), INSERT (create), UPDATE (modify), DELETE (remove)
Modern ORMs generate SQL for you, but raw SQL knowledge helps with optimization
Free and open source standard that's been around since the 1970s
Essential skill for building any app that stores structured data

How Vibe Coders Use Structured Query Language (SQL)

1
Pulling user data from your database to display in a dashboard
2
Writing queries to analyze how customers are using your product
3
Building an admin panel that lets you search and filter records
4
Optimizing slow queries that are making your app lag

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Terms

Supabase

Open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL with instant APIs, authentication, storage, and real-time subscriptions.

Git

Version control system that tracks changes in your code and lets multiple people work on the same project without stepping on each other's toes.

GitHub

A cloud platform for storing code, tracking changes, and collaborating with other developers using Git version control.

Postgres

Open-source relational database that handles everything from side projects to billion-row production systems.

Row Level Security (RLS)

Database security that filters which rows users can see based on their identity or role, letting you share the same table with different people safely.

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