Update Vs Alter Query

In the context of databases, "UPDATE" and "ALTER" are two different SQL commands used for different purposes:

UPDATE:
The UPDATE statement is used to modify existing records in a table.
It allows you to change the values of one or more columns in one or more rows in a table based on specified conditions.
The basic syntax for the UPDATE statement is:

UPDATE table_name
SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ...
WHERE condition;

ALTER:
The ALTER statement is used to modify the structure of a table, such as adding, modifying, or dropping columns.
It allows you to change the definition of a table without having to drop and recreate it, thereby preserving the existing data.
The ALTER TABLE statement is used for altering the structure of a table. Its basic syntax is:

ALTER TABLE table_name;

action;
'action' can be various commands such as ADD COLUMN, MODIFY COLUMN, DROP COLUMN, etc.
Here's a brief comparison:

Purpose:
UPDATE is used to modify existing data in a table.
ALTER is used to modify the structure of a table.
Usage:
UPDATE is used to change the values of existing rows based on specified conditions.
ALTER is used to add, modify, or drop columns or constraints in a table.
Syntax:
UPDATE: UPDATE table_name SET column1 = value1 WHERE condition;
ALTER: ALTER TABLE table_name action;
Effect:
UPDATE affects the data within the table.
ALTER affects the structure of the table.