Data Manipulation Language - Definition and Overview

Data Manipulation Language (DML): is a family of computer languages used by computer programs or database users to retrieve, insert, delete and update data in a database.

The currently most popular Data manipulation language is that of SQL, which is used to retrieve and manipulate data in a Relational database. Other forms of DML are those used by IMS/DL1, CODASYL databases (such as IDMS), and others.

Data manipulation languages were initially only used by computer programs, but (with the advent of SQL) have come to be used by people, as well.

Data manipulation languages have their functional capability organized by the initial word in a statement, which is almost always a verb. In the case of SQL, these verbs are "select", "insert", "update", and "delete". This makes the nature of the language into a set of imperative statements (commands) to the database.

Data manipulation languages tend to have many different "flavors" and capabilities between database vendors. There has been a standard established for SQL by ANSI, but vendors still "exceed" the standard and provide their own extensions.