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What's PQL?
PQL is the Paglo Query Language. Just to be clear, you don't need a query language to search your data on Paglo. You can use keywords in plain English. And when you do, Paglo automatically translates your terms into the Paglo Query Language, which shows in the Search box as a PQL query. You can use this to your advantage, as well as other click-to-keep techniques, without ever knowing a word of PQL. But if you want to learn it, you'll find it provides a lot of advantages. And it's easy.
Why a new query language?
We wanted a query language simple enough that you could type it on a single line. We also wanted a query language that could talk to Paglo's dual database. The traditional relational databases that are based on tables tend to be rigid and hard to extend. The Paglo Search Index includes a unique combination of database functionality that is much more flexible and can easily be extended as new types of data are added.
SQL is widely known and designed for relational databases, so it might seem like a logical choice. But SQL and other similar languages — and XML-based languages such as XQuery and XPath — didn't meet our standards of simplicity and flexibility. PQL is not a subset of SQL, it's an entirely new language. And while PQL is similar enough to SQL that we sometimes describe it as SQL-like, it has a different approach that makes it simpler and easier to use.
How do I use PQL?
The Paglo Query Language is developed for handling complex search and
look-up requirements, and supporting advanced quantitative searches.
PQL uses a straightforward, SQL-like syntax that's easy to read. If you
know SQL, you know PQL. It comes with a library of basic statements that
are all you need to get started:
SELECT,
INSERT,
MERGE,
UPDATE, and
DELETE.
You can make simple searches using terms like dell in plain English to get standard text results. You can also write sophisticated queries in PQL for handling the complex search and look-up requirements, and supporting advanced quantitative searches that make Paglo unique.
When you start with a simple search term such as dell, Paglo automatically converts it into a PQL query. And you can harvest the data that's important to you from your results. You can convert it into a rich chart or graph, or click the detail icon to drill deeper for more specific information. As you delve, you'll see your PQL query evolve in the Search window. Once you have the exact information you're looking for, save that query! Just run the same query, the next time you need that information. You can display the results on a dashboard pane, or share the query itself with colleagues or the greater Paglo community.
