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As someone who has implemented a composable SQL generator from user-defined algebras of (arbitrary SQL) queries using relational algebra, I understand the shortcomings of SQL when viewed from an angle of a relational query language.

However, SQL is a language with many facets (DML, DDL, DCL) other than 'relational' querying. Putting on a less mathematical and more engineering mindset, SQL ingratiates me by its interface to incredibly powerful primitives difficult to find anywhere else. (I've primarily worked with Postgres SQL)

Consider the humble function; in SQL https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-createfunction.h..., one can declare the function as `stable` or `immutable` to let the runtime optimise repeated calls; as `parallel` to let the runtime consider parallelisation, as `cost ...` and `rows ...` to aid optimiser cost estimation. Imagine if one could do that in C or Javascript!

Another facet which regularly puts me in awe is the transaction isolation primitives and locking primitives offered by SQL.

I understand that as a database language, SQL necessarily has these within its specialised niche, but it seems to me these aspects of SQL as an interface to a language runtime would be equally useful in the everyday program; in all these areas of functionality, SQL is so much more advanced than nearly every other general purpose programming language.