Why we need a new programming language

We need a new programming language to better handle databases. Or perhaps, a new paradigm.

Structural Programming is crap for working with databases.
Object Orientated Programming is equally crap for working with databases.

With your perl type-languages (mostly procedural), database handling tends to be: here's the SQL, fire it at the database, do something with the result. This is messy because it leaves SQL trailing all over the place, possibly referencing the same database tables in lots of different files.

With your object orientated languages (say, Java), database handling is hidden to the point that it's difficult to optimise, the SQLs (or whatever the hidden equivalent is - say Hibernate criteria) are still scattered around, and again, difficult to change.

What I want is a SET-orientated language. Databases are based on set theory. Give me a language that's based on that. Not one that simply manages sets - the whole language should be based on the fact that you use and abuse sets of data constantly with SQL. Sure, build in database independence - force me to write ANSI-SQLs in this language, that would ensure far better compatibility than Hibernate or its ilk.

Let's say I have a table called 'customers'. Now, let's say, someone wants a new piece of data. I want to quickly find all the references to the customers table, and check if anything needs changing.

Structural programming, I have to basically grep for all occurrences and then read the code involved.
OO is, in theory, a little better, assuming everything has been done correctly - just search for references to the customers object. Except that you don't just have to search for the customers object, you have to search for everything that extends it. And in most complex projects, you'll probably find someone has mangled a bit of SQL and just like structural, you'd end up grepping for something.

In a set based programming language, you'd have customers and everything else springs off of that set. So much simpler to find everything.

SQL and table structures are probably the most important part of your application. Consider: If someone took your current project away and started rewriting it in another language, what bits would they take? The clever multi-layered model/view/controller architecture that someone spent hours working on? The error handling? Your table-widget with a billion possible combinations? Or the data and ways of accessing that data? If the answer's not obvious, you need to get out of any programming that involves databases.