zlacker

By that definition JavaScript is also legacy.

> having to hint to the optimizer or write meta-SQL to get it to generate the query plan I already know I want dammit'

That's not in the domain of SQL. If you're not getting the most optimized query plan, there is something wrong with the DBMS engine or statistics -- SQL, the language, isn't supposed to care about those details.

>>wvenab+(OP)
> That's not in the domain of SQL.

That's my point, I think we've reached the point where SQL the langage can be more of a hindrance than help because in a lot of cases we're writing directly to the engine but with oven mitts on. If I could build the query from the tree with scan, filter, index scan, cond, merge join as my primitives it would be so nice.

>>Spivak+Zw1
Sounds like you don’t want SQL at all. Some sort of non-SQL, or not-SQL, never-SQL. Something along those lines.

>>mr_toa+HTb
That's the thing though, I still want my data to be relational so NoSQL databases don't fit the bill. I want to interact with a relational database via something other than the SQL language and given that this language already exists (Postgres compiles your SQL into an IR that uses these primitives) I don't think it's a crazy ask.