SQL:2008 is the sixth revision of the ISO and ANSI standard for the SQL database query language. It was formally adopted in July 2008.^[1] The standard consists of 9 parts which are described in detail in SQL. The next iteration is SQL:2011

New features

Additions to the Foundation include

• enhanced MERGE and DIAGNOSTIC statements,
• the TRUNCATE TABLE statement,
• comma-separated WHEN clauses in a CASE expression,
• INSTEAD OF database triggers,
• partitioned JOIN tables,
• support for various XQuery regular expression/pattern-matching features, and
• enhancements to derived column names.^[1]

Documentation

The SQL standards documentation is not freely available but may be purchased from the ISO as ISO/IEC 9075(1-4,9-11,13,14):2008.

Claims of conformance

The minimum level of conformance to SQL:2008 that a product can claim is called "Core SQL:2008" and is limited to definitions specified in two parts of the standard: the Foundation and the Information and Definition Schemas.^[2]