primary purpose of DDL in database management?
The primary purpose of Data Definition Language (DDL) in database management is to define and manage the structure and schema of the database. This includes:
1. **Creating Database Objects**: DDL allows for the creation of various database objects such as tables, indexes, views, and schemas. This defines how data is organized and stored.
2. **Modifying Database Structure**: DDL enables changes to the existing database schema, such as adding, modifying, or deleting columns in a table, changing data types, or updating constraints.
3. **Deleting Database Objects**: DDL provides commands to remove database objects that are no longer needed, such as dropping tables or indexes.
4. **Defining Constraints**: DDL helps set up constraints like primary keys, foreign keys, unique constraints, and check constraints to enforce data integrity and relationships.
Overall, DDL plays a crucial role in setting up the database structure and ensuring that data is stored and managed according to specific requirements and constraints.