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Development Tools Database Foundations Creating Tables and Manipulating Data with SQL Inserting, Updating and Deleting Rows

Aaron Munoz
Aaron Munoz
11,177 Points
Posted by Aaron Munoz
Aaron Munoz
11,177 Points

Difference between a query and sql file.

I noticed that Andrew started insert data in a new sql file while I was doing it in a query tab. What's the difference? What's the purpose of each? Thanks!

2 Answers

Gareth Borcherds
Gareth Borcherds
9,372 Points
Gareth Borcherds
Gareth Borcherds
9,372 Points

No real difference. Only thing would be that with a sql file you can save your sql queries and run them on different databases or keep your queries for later use. A lot of time I build them in the query tab in my sql tool and then save them in a sql file once they run correctly to use later.

Tyrell Jentink
Tyrell Jentink
8,415 Points
Tyrell Jentink
Tyrell Jentink
8,415 Points

A query is an operation on the database.

A sql file is a list of queries to run. If you want to run many queries back to back, you may want to store them all in a sql file so you don't have to wait for the responses on each. Similarly, if you dump your database into a backup, that will be stored as a sql file that you can call later to recreate that database. From time to time, you may install a software package that requires a database, and they may distribute a sql file to create that required database.