Introduction to Databases : Comments
October 13, 2004
Comments
Back to basics. I like the theme you’re on guys. Keep it up ; )
Thanks Nick and Paul.
This article was very helpful and easy to understand. Thank you so much and keep up the good work.
I look forward to more articles along this PHP/MySQL vein.
However, I question the example given in the second sentence after What is a database?: I don’t think that family tree is a good example of the use of a database. While it may be possible to create a database of a family tree, the recursive relationships would be a nightmare to manage. On the otherhand, the Mormon’s have a software format for documenting and managing family trees (I learned about it several years ago) and it may be a form of a database but likely a specialized form.
Enjoyed the article. Recommended it to my PHP Programming class at SMC (Santa Monica College).
Re a FamilyTree database: a table of Persons and a “bridge” table of ParentChild records linking Persons to Persons should handle the basics. I don’t really see a problem there.
You’re right that heirarchies of data don’t fit especially well into relational databases, and could probably be better represented in XML files or perhaps object databases.
But you could manage it, with one table containing people, and another containing relationships between those people. However, displaying a whole tree going back several generations would involve a lot of database lookups.
My family tree has never progressed much past my grandparents so I just use an Excel file – which is why I thought of it as an example.
Great article! Keep it up!! ;-))
Nice introduction
thanks for explaining it from the very beginning. your article certainly did demystify this subject for me. And i finally know what SQL stands for. Great job. :)
very good..!thanks
This was a very nice article. I think the only thing really missing is showing how powerful a database really is. It makes it possible to not only organize data but to find new things about the data. The other important advantage is the speed and efficiency of a database. Most anything that is done with a database can be done using files and data structures, but the effeciency you get with a database makes it such an advantage. After learning to program using php and then going to things like C++/C#/Java, I found that not having a database was just madness. This is probably just my own experience, but forcing yourself to keep a datebook or list of appointments with specific people is just crazy. In any sense, a very good article and I hope it sparks interest in databases.
I really enjoyed your article.I have just istalled SQL Server, I was disapointe when you spoke of SQL and then gave the example for MYSQL. I actually am interested in knowing how to incorporate SQL in a webpage, are there any webpages that utilize SQL that you know of, I have not been able to find any. Thanks.
Even though the examples were for MySQL, they should work in SQL Server as well. The new article I wrote has many more in depth examples (with hopefully a minimum of translation from MySQL to SQL Server). Many sites use databases, but it’s usually hidden away from the user.
And, as Eric said, databases are very powerful, and are a great way of storing data (as opposed to keeping data in text files or just in memory). But you can also connect Java and C to SQL databases, although it might involve a bit more on the installation side.
I get 15% profit when I let my website be run by the wholesalers of the products I sell and 50% if I can sell the 150,000 products my self. I obviously need a way to input the weekly price sheets into my database along with pictures and descriptions of the products. Having read your article I realize that a database of this sort is definitely in my future. Unfortunately for me I still do not know which type I will use. and because I am making such a small amount at this time I am not sure I will be able to afford the database that is correct for me at this time. I did understand that access is probably never going to be the right choice for me so now I scan into computer, paperport into acess, convert to comma dedlimited and wait till I find the right solution to help me feed my cute kids. Anyway your article opened my eyes a little and I hope to find a solution soon, Joe Spivey…... A frustrated, but dedicated former network administrator, turned webmaster.
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