This part of ISO/IEC 9075 defines the data structures and basic operations on SQL-data. It provides functional capabilities for creating, accessing, maintaining, controlling, and protecting SQL-data.

This part of ISO/IEC 9075 specifies the syntax and semantics of a database language: For specifying and modifying the structure and the integrity constraints of SQL-data; For declaring and invoking operations on SQL-data and cursors; For declaring database language procedures. It also specifies an Information Schema that describes the structure and the integrity constraints of SQL-data.

This part of ISO/IEC 9075 provides a vehicle for portability of data definitions and compilation units between SQL-implementations.

This part of ISO/IEC 9075 provides a vehicle for interconnection of SQL-implementations.

This part of ISO/IEC 9075 does not define the method or time of binding between any of: database management system components, SQL data definition declarations, SQL procedures, or compilation units.

Implementations of this part of ISO/IEC 9075 may exist in environments that also support application programming languages, end-user query languages, report generator systems, data dictionary systems, program library systems, and distributed communication systems, as well as various tools for database design, data administration, and performance optimization.