SQL:1999
1999 edition of the SQL standard
SQL:1999 (also called SQL 3) was the fourth revision of the SQL database query language. It introduced many new features, many of which required clarifications in the subsequent SQL:2003. In the meanwhile SQL:1999 is deprecated.
Summary
The ISO standard documents were published between 1999 and 2002 in several installments, the first one consisting of multiple parts. Unlike previous editions, the standard's name used a colon instead of a hyphen for consistency with the names of other ISO standards. The first installment of SQL:1999 had five parts:
SQL/Framework ISO/IEC 9075-1:1999
SQL/Foundation ISO/IEC 9075-2:1999
SQL/CLI : an updated definition of the extension Call Level Interface, originally published in 1995, also known as CLI-95 ISO/IEC 9075-3:1999
SQL/PSM : an updated definition of the extension Persistent Stored Modules, originally published in 1996, also known as PSM-96 ISO/IEC 9075-4:1999
SQL/Bindings ISO/IEC 9075-5:1999
Three more parts, also considered part of SQL:1999 were published subsequently:
SQL/MED Management of External Data (SQL:1999 part 9) ISO/IEC 9075-9:2001
SQL/OLB Object Language Bindings (SQL:1999 part 10) ISO/IEC 9075-10:2000
SQL/JRT SQL Routines and Types using the Java Programming Language (SQL:1999 part 13) ISO/IEC 9075-13:2002
New features
Data types
Boolean data types
The SQL:1999 standard calls for a Boolean type. IBM Db2 supports Boolean values since around 11.1. Microsoft SQL Server supports storage for Booleans using "BIT" data type. MySQL interprets "BOOL" and "BOOLEAN" as a mapping for its native TINYINT(1) type. PostgreSQL provides a standard conforming Boolean type.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “SQL:1999” as 1999 edition of the SQL standard. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as 1999 edition of the SQL standard. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4048878. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1999, 2003, 2002 and 1995.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow SQL:1999 primary sources, SQL:1999 archive and edition research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “SQL:1999” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.