The intention is rather for it to be simpler, as it uses a linear direction of data handling. SQL jumps back and forth with its order of operations and can be confusing in this way.
PRQL also has a more modern syntax that reuses more universal concepts with fewer keywords to learn. In contrast to SQL which has a unique keyword, syntax, and behavior for everything.
I think more relevant question would be is naive idiomatic prql faster than naive idiomatic sql? Of course you can tune any sql to hell and back, but the chances for some non-expert developer to land on anything nearly optimal sql are not so great. So if prql helps non-experts to get decent perf easier, I'd chalk that up as a win, and that is not so outlandish goal anymore.
The intention is rather for it to be simpler, as it uses a linear direction of data handling. SQL jumps back and forth with its order of operations and can be confusing in this way.
PRQL also has a more modern syntax that reuses more universal concepts with fewer keywords to learn. In contrast to SQL which has a unique keyword, syntax, and behavior for everything.