16.1 Introduction

This chapter is applicable to UNIX LispWorks and the Enterprise Edition of LispWorks. It describes Common SQL -- the LispWorks interface to SQL. It should be used in conjunction with the relevant chapter of the LispWorks Reference Manual , which contains full reference entries for all the symbols in the SQL package.

For a longer introduction to Common SQL, please see the SQL Tutorial available at www.lispworks.com .

This chapter covers the following areas:

• Initialization and Connection
• The Functional SQL Interface
• The Object-Oriented (CLOS) SQL Interface
• The Symbolic SQL Syntax
• SQL I/O Recording
• SQL Interface Errors

The LispWorks SQL interface uses the following database terminology:

Data Definition Language (DDL)

The language used to specify and interrogate the structure of the database schema.

Data Manipulation Language (DML)

The language used for retrieving and modifying data. Also known as query language .

table

A set of records. Also known as relation .

attribute

A field of information in the table. Also known as column .

record

A complete set of attribute values in the table. Also known as tuple , or row .

view

A display of a table configured to your own needs. Also known as virtual table .

16.1.1 Overview