The reason your database admin hates you.
Data Manipulation Language (DML) is a subset of SQL (Structured Query Language) that enables users to perform operations on data stored in a database. DML is primarily concerned with the manipulation of data, allowing for the insertion, updating, and deletion of records within database tables. This functionality is essential for data engineers, data analysts, and machine learning engineers who require dynamic interaction with data to support analytics, reporting, and machine learning model training. DML commands are executed within the context of a database transaction, ensuring data integrity and consistency, which is crucial for maintaining accurate data states in applications.
DML is utilized in various scenarios, including data migration, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, and real-time data processing. It is important for data governance specialists and data stewards to understand DML, as it directly impacts data quality and compliance. The ability to manipulate data efficiently is a cornerstone of effective data management practices, making DML a vital tool in the data engineering toolkit.
When the data analyst said, "I just ran a DML command to update the customer records," the room collectively sighed in relief, knowing the data was finally accurate.
The concept of DML dates back to the early days of database management systems in the 1970s, when the need for a standardized way to manipulate data became apparent, leading to the development of SQL as we know it today.
