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`!SQL-92`! (also called SQL 2) was the third revision of the `F33f`_`[SQL`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=SQL]`_`f `F33f`_`[database`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Database]`_`f `F33f`_`[query language`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Query_language]`_`f. Unlike SQL-89, it was a major revision of the standard. Aside from a few minor incompatibilities, the SQL-89 standard is forward-compatible with SQL-92.
The standard specification itself grew about five times compared to SQL-89. Much of it was due to more precise specifications of existing features; the increase due to new features was only by a factor of 1.5–2. Many of the new features had already been implemented by vendors before the new standard was adopted.`:cite-ref-meltonsimon1993-1-0[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-meltonsimon1993-1]`_`f] However, most of the new features were added to the "intermediate" and "full" tiers of the specification, meaning that conformance with SQL-92 entry level was scarcely any more demanding than conformance with SQL-89.
The next revision is `F33f`_`[SQL:1999`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=SQL:1999]`_`f (SQL3).
>>Contents
• `F0af`_`[Related official standard`#related-official-standard]`_`f
• `F0af`_`[New features`#new-features]`_`f
• `F0af`_`[Extensions`#extensions]`_`f
• `F0af`_`[References`#references]`_`f
• `F0af`_`[External links`#external-links]`_`f
-─
>>Related official standard
• ANSI X3.135-1992
• ISO/IEC 9075:1992`:cite-ref-2[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-2]`_`f]
• FIPS PUB 127-2
>>New features
Significant new features include:`:cite-ref-3[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-3]`_`f]
• New data types defined: `B100`F9d9DATE`f`b, `B100`F9d9TIME`f`b, `B100`F9d9TIMESTAMP`f`b, `B100`F9d9INTERVAL`f`b, `B100`F9d9BIT`f`b string, `B100`F9d9VARCHAR`f`b strings, and `B100`F9d9NATIONAL CHARACTER`f`b strings.
• Support for additional `F33f`_`[character sets`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Character_set]`_`f beyond the base requirement for representing SQL statements.
• New scalar operations such as string concatenation and `F33f`_`[substring`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Substring]`_`f extraction, date and time mathematics, and conditional statements.
• New set operations such as `B100`F9d9UNION`f`b, `B100`F9d9UNION ALL`f`b, `B100`F9d9CROSS JOIN`f`b, and formalized `B100`F9d9JOIN`f`b types (`B100`F9d9INNER JOIN`f`b, `B100`F9d9LEFT JOIN`f`b, `B100`F9d9RIGHT JOIN`f`b, `B100`F9d9FULL OUTER JOIN`f`b).
• Conditional expressions with `B100`F9d9CASE`f`b. For an example, see `F33f`_`[Case (SQL)`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Case_(SQL)]`_`f.
• Support for alterations of `F33f`_`[schema definitions`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Data_Definition_Language]`_`f via `B100`F9d9ALTER`f`b and `B100`F9d9DROP`f`b.
• Bindings for `F33f`_`[C`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=C_(programming_language)]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Ada`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Ada_(programming_language)]`_`f, and `F33f`_`[MUMPS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=MUMPS]`_`f.
• New features for user privileges.
• New integrity-checking functionality such as within a `F33f`_`[CHECK constraint`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Check_Constraint]`_`f.
• A new `*information schema`*—read-only views about database metadata like what tables it contains, etc. For example, `B100`F9d9SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES;`f`b.
• Dynamic execution of queries (as opposed to prepared).
• Better support for remote database access.
• Temporary tables; `B100`F9d9CREATE TEMP TABLE`f`b etc.
• `F33f`_`[Transaction`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Database_transaction]`_`f `F33f`_`[isolation levels`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Isolation_(database_systems)]`_`f.
• New operations for changing data types on the fly via `B100`F9d9CAST (expr AS type)`f`b.
• `F33f`_`[Scrolled cursors`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Cursor_(databases)]`_`f.
• Compatibility flagging for backwards and forwards compatibility with other SQL standards.
>>Extensions
Two significant extensions were published after standard (but before the next major iteration.)
• `F33f`_`[SQL/CLI`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=SQL/CLI]`_`f (`F33f`_`[Call Level Interface`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Call_Level_Interface]`_`f) in 1995
• `F33f`_`[SQL/PSM`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=SQL/PSM]`_`f (`F33f`_`[stored procedures`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Stored_procedure]`_`f) in 1996
>>References
`:cite-note-meltonsimon1993-1`!1.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-meltonsimon1993-1-0]`_`f `:citerefjim-meltonalan-r-simon1993`aJim Melton; Alan R. Simon (1993). `*Understanding The New SQL: A Complete Guide`*. Morgan Kaufmann. pp. 11–12. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 978-1-55860-245-8.
`:cite-note-2`!2.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-2]`_`f "ISO/IEC 9075:1992". Retrieved 4 June 2025.
`:cite-note-3`!3.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-3]`_`f `F33f`_`[C. J. Date`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=C._J._Date]`_`f with `F33f`_`[Hugh Darwen`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Hugh_Darwen]`_`f: `*A Guide to the SQL standard : a users guide to the standard database language SQL, 4th ed.`*, Addison Wesley, USA 1997, `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 978-0-201-96426-4
>>External links
• The SQL-92 standard
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