---
title: "Introduction"
url: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cloud-scale/help/zcql/introduction/
description: "ZCQL is Catalyst's own query language modelled after familiar query languages that you can use to query your app's database efficiently."
last_updated: 2025-06-27T08:08:50Z
service: Cloud Scale
type: general
---

# ZCQL

## Introduction

Catalyst Cloud Scale ZCQL serves as Catalyst’s own query language, similar to [MySQL](https://www.mysql.com/) or [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/). It is used to perform data manipulations within the [Catalyst Data Store](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cloud-scale/help/data-store/introduction/). As a query engine powered by Catalyst, ZCQL enables developers to work with data using familiar SQL-like syntax while handling complex queries with high efficiency and scalability.

You can perform the following operations on the tables in your Data Store using ZCQL:

* **Retrieval:** Obtaining records from existing tables
* **Insertion:** Inserting records into the existing columns of an existing table
* **Updating:** Updating the value of existing columns in an existing table
* **Deletion:** Deleting records from an existing table

You can execute a variety of DML queries using ZCQL to obtain or manipulate data based on specific criteria by using
various clauses and statements such as the SQL `Join` clauses, `Groupby`
statements, `OrderBy` statements, and the `WHERE` and `HAVING` clauses. ZCQL also supports several built-in SQL numeric functions that help you execute arithmetic operations easily.

You can implement ZCQL queries in your Catalyst application's source code, such as in the functions or the client
component. For example, you pass a ZCQL query in a function's body to retrieve data from a table in the Data Store and
process it further.

The Catalyst console also provides a ZCQL query execution window, where you can execute queries and view the responses.
This allows you to test ZCQL queries easily, before implementing them in your application.

### SDK and API documentation

Catalyst offers ZCQL in the Java, Node.js, Python, Web, Android, iOS, and Flutter SDK packages, and as an API. For code samples on executing ZCQL
queries in these programming environments, refer to these help pages:

* [Execute ZCQL Query - Java SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/java/v1/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - Node.js
SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/nodejs/v2/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - Python SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/python/v1/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - Web SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/web/v4/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - Android SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/android/v2/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - iOS SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/ios/v2/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - Flutter SDK](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/flutter/v2/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/)
* [Execute ZCQL Query - API](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/api/code-reference/cloud-scale/zcql/execute-zcql-query/#ExecuteZCQLQuery)

> **Note:** 

* From **December 01st, 2024**, all your current projects in all your [Orgs](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/catalyst-organizations/) present in the [Development Environment](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/deployment-and-billing/environments/development-environment/) will be automatically mapped to **ZCQL V2 Parser**.

* From **April 01st, 2025**, all the projects present in all *Orgs* that have already been mapped to **ZCQL V2 Parser** in *Development Environment* will be automatically mapped to **ZCQL V2 Parser** in the [Production Environment](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/deployment-and-billing/environments/production-environment/), if and when production is enabled for the project.

* To use **ZCQL V2** in your code, you need to set the appropriate environment variable as shown in this [help document](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cloud-scale/help/zcql/zcql-console/#using-zcql-v2-in-function-code).

You can refer to [Catalyst Tutorials](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/tutorials/) to get an
idea of ZCQL's implementation in the function or client code of the applications.

### Benefits

* Can perform data retrieval, insertion, updating, and deletion operations in the Catalyst Data Store
* Similarity to MySQL ensures ease of use and there is no separate learning curve
* Can test the execution of the queries in the console before implementing them in the application
* Can pass a ZCQL query in an API's body using the SDKs
* Can perform arithmetic and numerical operations on the result set using the ZCQL built-in functions