| Since its origin, the Structured Query Language or SQL has grown from a specific tool to allow access relational data to the most common method for storing, manipulating, and retrieving data. The rise in the use of SQL has been accompanied by numerous updates to increase its capabilities, but SQL has been ignored by the refactoring movement which has been seeking to improve the maintainability, readability, and stability of procedural code for over a decade. The immense benefits derived from easier maintenance can be directly accounted for by all parties, and any methodology that can make this process more comfortable and less error prone should be embraced. SQL has evolved to become more powerful than ever, but its code maintenance methodologies have not kept pace. The use of SQL throughout software is not decreasing, and the lost benefit of refactoring on SQL code must be addressed. |
