Abstract / scope
ISO/IEC 9075 defines the SQL language. The scope of the SQL language is the definition of data structure and the operations on data stored in that structure. Parts 1, 2 and 11 encompass the minimum requirements of the language. Others parts define extensions.
ISO/IEC 9075-3:2003 defines the structures and functions that may be used to execute statements of the database language SQL from within an application written in a standard programming language in such a way that the functions used are independent of the SQL statements to be executed.