User evaluation of database query languages: A comparison of SQL and dBase III

The authors provided students with instruction on both the SQL and dBase query languages and measured their performance on query-writing tests. In addition, students rated the difficulty of using SQL and dBase for specified query problems, and completed questionnaire items related to the usability and functionality of the languages. Results showed that subjects with no computer or database experience found query problems more difficult to solve with SQL, while subjects with at least some computer or database experience found problems more difficult to solve with dBase III. Such perceptions may be explained by the findings that subjects judged dBase III more favorably with respect to usability features and SQL more favorably with respect to functionality features. These results suggest that the response to SQL by beginning users of database software in the mass market may depend on its usability rather than its functionality.