CODEWITHSUNDEEP
databaseddl
Mobius
Mobius

Reputation: 45

Is the phrase "creating the DDL" a malapropism?

Database management is a sticky subject for me, and as a result I'm fairly sensible to vocabulary when I read up on it. Could someone clarify the phrase "Create the DDL" in the following context?

JPA can use the meta information to create the DDL when it starts up. This is helpful for development as it allows you to quickly get up and running without delving into the SQL needed to create tables.

(source : http://www.alexecollins.com/tutorial-hibernate-jpa-part-1/)

Here's my understanding :

DDL stands for "data definition language". It refers to the subset of a database language that deals with database structure. Examples of DDL statements in SQL are CREATE, ALTER or DROP.

Taking this definition literally, creating a DDL means defining the generic statements that affect a database. But that doesn't really makes sense: SQL already has its DDL (the aforementioned CREATE, ALTER, DROP statements).

Does "creating a DDL" mean generating a file that has all the DDL statements required to generate the database?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 45

Answers (2)

Jonathan Leffler
Jonathan Leffler

Reputation: 753455

The quotes says 'create the DDL' but you dissect 'create a DDL'. I think there's a big difference.

Saying 'the DDL' is a shorthand for 'the data definition language statements' (meaning the SQL necessary to create the schema). Omitting the word 'statements' is a (to me) forgivable contraction. Using 'a DDL' has connotations of comparing one data definition language with another — say SQL with ISAM.

Upvotes: 1

usr
usr

Reputation: 171178

This is shorthand for "create the DDL file/script" or something. One word is missing. It's true that only an RDBMS developer can create new DDL.

Since you want exact terms let me correct you here:

required to generate the database

It should be "required to generate the database schema".

Upvotes: 1

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