Defines the data structures and basic operations on SQL- data. Provides functional capabilities for creating, accessing, maintaining, controlling, and protecting SQL-data. Specifies the syntax and semantics of a database language: - for specifying and modifying the structure and the integrity constraints of SQL-data, - for declaring and invoking operations of SQL-data and cursors, and - for declaring database language procedures and embedding them into a standard programming language. Also specifies an Information Schema that describes the structure and the integrity constraints of SQL-data. This standard: - provides a vehicle for portability of data definitions and compilation units between SQL-implementations, - provides a vehicle for interconnection of SQL-implementations, - specifies syntax for embedding SQL-statements in a compilation unit that otherwise conforms to the standard for a particular programming language. It defines how an equivalent compilation unit may be derived that conforms to the particular programming language standard. In that equivalent compilation unit, each embedded SQL-statement has been replaced by statements that invoke a database language procedure that contains the SQL-statement, and - specifies syntax for direct invocation of SQL-statements.