DDL - Data Definition Language: statements used to define the database structure or schema. Some examples:
- CREATE - to create objects in the database
- ALTER - alters the structure of the database
- DROP - delete objects from the database
- TRUNCATE - remove all records from a table, including all spaces allocated for the records are removed
- COMMENT - add comments to the data dictionary
- RENAME - rename an object
DML - Data Manipulation Language: statements used for managing data within schema objects. Some examples:
- SELECT - retrieve data from the a database
- INSERT - insert data into a table
- UPDATE - updates existing data within a table
- DELETE - deletes all records from a table, the space for the records remain
- MERGE - UPSERT operation (insert or update)
- CALL - call a PL/SQL or Java subprogram
- EXPLAIN PLAN - explain access path to data
- LOCK TABLE - control concurrency
DCL - Data Control Language. Some examples:
- GRANT - gives user's access privileges to database
- REVOKE - withdraw access privileges given with the GRANT command
TCL - Transaction Control: statements used to manage the changes made by DML statements. It allows statements to be grouped together into logical transactions.
- COMMIT - save work done
- SAVEPOINT - identify a point in a transaction to which you can later roll back
- ROLLBACK - restore database to original since the last COMMIT
- SET TRANSACTION - Change transaction options like isolation level and what rollback segment to use
DML are not auto-commit. i.e. you can roll-back the operations, but DDL are auto-commit
