How Do Relational Databases Work?
How Do Relational Databases Work?
What is a Database?
A Database Management System (DBMS) is software designed to store, retrieve, define, and manage
data in a database.
DBMS software primarily functions as an interface between the end user and the database,
simultaneously managing the data, the database engine, and the database schema in order to
facilitate the organization and manipulation of data.
A database management system functions through the use of system commands, first receiving
instructions from a database developer/administrator in DBMS, then instructing the system accordingly,
either to retrieve data, modify data, or load existing data from/to the system
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A relational database stores and organizes data points that are related to one another. Relational
databases maintain data in tables, providing an efficient, intuitive, and flexible way to store and access
structured information. Tables, also known as relations, consist of columns containing one or more data
categories, and rows, also known as table records, containing a set of data defined by the category.
Applications access data by specifying queries, which use operations to select columns and join to
combine relations.
The relational model for database management was developed by IBM computer scientist Edgar F. Codd
in 1970.
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Relational databases provide an environment from which data can be accessed or reassembled in a
variety of different ways without needing to reorganize the database tables. Each table has a unique
identifier, or primary key, which identifies the information in the table, and each row contains a unique
instance of data for the categories defined by the columns.
The logical connection between different tables can then be established with the use of foreign keys - a
field in a table that connects to the primary key data of another table.
Relational Database Management Systems often employ SQL or structured query language for gathering
data for reports and for interactive queries.
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What is SQL?
SQL (pronounced "ess-que-el") stands for Structured Query Language. SQL is used
to communicate with a database. According to ANSI (American National Standards
Institute), it is the standard language for relational database management systems.
SQL statements are used to perform tasks such as update data on a database, or
retrieve data from a database. Some common relational database management
systems that use SQL are: Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, Access, Ingres,
etc. Although most database systems use SQL, most of them also have their own
additional proprietary extensions that are usually only used on their system.
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