Comparison of SQL and Navigational Database APIs

This technical report examines the differences between SQL and navigational database application programming interfaces (APIs) for embedded systems. It outlines the growing need for embedded systems developers to choose appropriate database APIs as they integrate more data-intensive features into their applications. The paper discusses the advantages of SQL, including its familiarity and higher level of abstraction, compared to navigational APIs that are closely integrated with programming languages like C and C++. A sample application is implemented using both SQL and a navigational API to evaluate programming ease, maintainability, determinism, and the learning curve. The report provides detailed code examples for both implementations, highlighting the differences in programming techniques and the transparency of each approach. The findings suggest that while both APIs require comparable amounts of programming, the navigational API may offer advantages in terms of efficiency and clarity in application code.