Intro to Databases

"What is a database?" by Charlie Love

Databases are collections of information that allow us quickly query and retrieve data based on pre-defined properties. As the video above points out, we use databases constantly throughout our day as we engage with technology. The database is a fundamental building block for many different types of software applications. Websites use technologies such as mySQL, Postgres, MSSQL, Oracle, and more to provide different database solutions.

Different technologies have unique pros and cons, but for the most part, the databases used in web development fall into the category of "relational databases". This means that these databases are able to maintain relationships between different records in the database, which makes them quite good at modeling hierarchical data.

Most relational databases use a querying language called Structured Query Language (SQL). Some database technologies extend or modify SQL somewhat, but for the most part there are very similar commands and grammar that combine to create queries. Think of a query as a set of search settings: By specifying certain values and attributes, the data can be filtered and sorted and returned in the way you prefer. 

There is a complex process to defining and organizing data in the proper ways, and effectively using your data is a key part of keeping webapps and websites running quickly and efficiently. This overview should give you some idea of the complexities involved when working with databases as a part of your website architecture.