Data definition language


Data definition language

(language, database)(DDL)

1. A language enabling the structure and instances of adatabase to be defined in a human-, and machine-readableform.

SQL contains DDL commands that can be used eitherinteractively, or within programming language source code,to define databases and their components, e.g. CREATE andDROP.

See also Data manipulation language (DML).

2. A specification language for databases, based on theentity-relationship model. It is used in the Elicompiler-compiler to manage type definitions.

["DDL Reference Manual", ECE Dept U Colorado, 1991].