Which of the following best enables the retrieval and manipulation of data that is stored in a relational database?

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a markup language for encoding documents in a human-readable and machine-readable format, primarily for data transport and storage, not for direct retrieval and manipulation of data *within* a relational database.

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language specifically designed for managing and querying relational database management systems. It enables users to retrieve, insert, update, and delete data with high efficiency and precision within a relational database context.

Excel is a spreadsheet application for data analysis and storage, but it is not the primary language or tool for directly retrieving and manipulating data stored in a relational database.

JavaScript is a programming language primarily used for web development and client-side scripting; it is not directly used for querying and manipulating data *within* a relational database system itself, although it can interact with databases via APIs or connectors.