What paradigm describes the SQL language?

The SQL language is best described by the set-oriented paradigm. This means that SQL operates primarily on sets of data rather than processing individual records one at a time. In SQL, operations are applied to sets of rows at once, allowing for efficient data manipulation and retrieval. For example, a single SQL statement can summarize or filter entire tables, which enhances both the performance and expressiveness of the queries.

This set-oriented nature is a key feature that distinguishes SQL from other programming paradigms, such as procedural or object-oriented. While procedural programming focuses on a sequence of instructions and can manipulate data record by record, SQL's approach allows for declarative queries that specify what data is needed rather than how to retrieve it.

The object-oriented paradigm, while present in other programming languages, does not pertain to SQL, as SQL does not inherently support concepts like inheritance or encapsulation in the same manner as object-oriented programming does. The application-focused paradigm similarly does not accurately describe SQL, as SQL is fundamentally concerned with data rather than application logic.