Oracle vs SQL: Difference and Comparison

Databases are a collection of information that is organized and stored in computers. This helps in easy managing and access to data. It makes it very easy to store the information in an organized way.

It removes all the confusion and chaos that is created when large amounts of information/data are being stored or kept. Among these are two different databases owned by different corporations, i.e., Oracle and SQL.

Both of them serve the basic functions of databases but have different features and characteristics.

Key Takeaways

1. Oracle is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Oracle Corporation.
2. SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language that manages and manipulates relational databases.
3. Oracle uses SQL as its primary interface for managing and querying data.

Oracle vs SQL 

Oracle is RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) developed by Oracle Corporation. A database can be used to store huge amounts of data. Oracle also provides a backup of data. It is easy to retrieve data from Oracle. SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language used to retrieve data from a database. It is a user-friendly language.

Oracle is a database system produced and marketed by the Oracle Corporation. It is a multi-model database management system that is used for running online transactions and data storage.

It is considered one of the most powerful databases. It has few advanced features. It is very complex to use.

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a programming language for retrieving database information. It also serves as sorting and organizing the data. It is simple and easy to use. It can be learned in one week also. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Oracle	SQL
Owned by	Oracle Corporation.	Microsoft Corporation.
Procedural Language	PL/SQL	T-SQL.
Usage	Complex to use	Simple to use.
Sharing of databases.	Can share databases	Cannot share databases.
Concept of Package	Supports the concept	Has no such concept

What is Oracle?

It is a product by Oracle Corporation providing a multi-model relational database management system. The following are the features of Oracle:

1. It has features such as Real Application Cluster and Portability, making it more scalable for usage. 
2. It has the feature of recovering the data from any type of failure. 

Importance: it is based on what the user demands, and accordingly, changes are made by adding new features or improvising the old ones. Oracle Corporation works on it by keeping in mind the latest requirement of technology as well as users.

Advantages:

1. Performance: it has the best performance, data is retrieved without any difficulty, it is very powerful, etc.
2. Multiple Databases: it can handle multiple databases on a single server. This provides different methods to manage CPU allocations.
3. Editions: The corporation offers different editions of Oracle. Therefore users can buy which is best suitable according to their needs.
4. Clusters: it provides a high data availability system by using the Real Application Cluster. Real Application Cluster has certain benefits, such as load balancing and flexibility to increase processing capacity etc.
5. Procedural Language: Oracle uses PL/SQL as Procedural language or programming.

What is SQL?

Structured Query Language (SQL) by Microsoft Corporation is a database that has the following advantages:

1. It can retrieve a large amount of data quickly and easily. 
2. It is very user-friendly as no coding skills are required for retrieving the data; simple keywords are used with simple syntactical rules.
3. It has standard languages providing a uniform platform for the users.
4. It can be used in various programs and also can be embedded with other applications as per the requirements. 
5. The answer to any query is received in very little time, and it is very easy and simple to understand as well as to use.

Disadvantages:

1. It has some difficult interfaces that can lead to difficulty in usage by the users.
2. Some versions of SQL are very costly, which everyone cannot afford.
3. Complete control of the database is not provided.

Need:

1. It is used as Business Intelligence Tool all around the world.
2. It performs a function such as Data Manipulation and data testing.
3. Tools such as Spark and Impala are fully dependent on SQL.
4. It is very demand for industrial skills.

Applications:

1. Used by developers.
2. Used by Database Administrators for writing Data Integration Scripts.
3. Used for retrieving data and information.
4. Used for Insertion, Deletion, and Updation

Main Differences Between Oracle and SQL

1. The Oracle Corporation owns Oracle Database, whereas the Microsoft Corporation owns SQL Database.
2. Syntaxes used in Oracle are more complex and efficient, and syntaxes used in SQL are comparatively easier and simpler.
3. Oracle uses the PL or SQL languages, and SQL uses the T-SQL language for procedural.
4. Job scheduling in Oracle is done by the Oracle scheduler, and in SQL, the SQL Server Agent does it.
5. Oracle uses bitmap, indexes that are based on function and reverse keys, whereas SQL uses no such bitmap indexes.
6. Oracle uses a star for query optimization, but SQL has no such query optimization.
7. Oracle uses both after and before triggers, but SQL uses only after triggers.
8. In SQL, rollback is not allowed during the transaction process, but in Oracle, rollback is allowed.
9. Concurrent accesses are not allowed in the SQL, but it is allowed in the Oracle.
10. Change values can be changed before the commit in SQL, but in Oracle, values are not changed before the commit.
11. In comparison, Oracle has the upper hand in power over SQL.
12. Oracle has a concept of packages, but there is no such concept in SQL.

References

1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6354766/
2. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7113373/
3. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4812594/
4. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1735688.1735706
5. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/984549.984551