Cassandra Query Language
Cassandra Query Language (CQL) is a SQL-like language used to interact with Apache Cassandra, a distributed NoSQL database. It provides a familiar syntax for querying and manipulating data in Cassandra, including creating keyspaces and tables, inserting and updating data, and performing queries. CQL abstracts Cassandra's underlying column-family data model while maintaining its scalability and high availability features.
Developers should learn CQL when working with Apache Cassandra for applications requiring high scalability, fault tolerance, and low-latency data access, such as IoT platforms, real-time analytics, or messaging systems. It is essential for data modeling, querying, and managing Cassandra databases, offering a more intuitive interface than the older Thrift API. Use cases include time-series data, product catalogs, and user activity tracking where horizontal scaling is critical.