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Module 01 Introduction To Databases Readings

A database is a digital storage system that organizes and manages vast amounts of information, similar to a library. It can handle structured data (like attendance registers), unstructured data (like social media posts), and semi-structured data (like emails). Databases enhance data organization, security, integrity, and retrieval, with SQL serving as the language for interacting with the database.

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9 views3 pages

Module 01 Introduction To Databases Readings

A database is a digital storage system that organizes and manages vast amounts of information, similar to a library. It can handle structured data (like attendance registers), unstructured data (like social media posts), and semi-structured data (like emails). Databases enhance data organization, security, integrity, and retrieval, with SQL serving as the language for interacting with the database.

Uploaded by

cinipo2881
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction to Databases

What is a Database?

Think of a database like a big school library. In a library, you have lots of books, magazines, and
newspapers. All these are arranged in shelves and sections so that you can find what you need
easily.

A database is similar, but instead of books, it stores loads of digital information. In formal terms,
Databases are like large electronic filing cabinets that allow us to efficiently store, organize, and
access vast amounts of data. Let's understand databases using some real-life examples.

Example from Daily Life:

Example 1: You use a mobile app like Paytm or Google Pay. When you check your past
transactions, you see a list of all the money you've sent or received, along with dates and
names. Where does this app store all this information? In a database!

Just like a librarian knows where each book is in the library, the app knows where to find your
transaction details in its database.

Example 2: A school needs to maintain student records - their name, class, section, contact
details, fees payment status, exam scores, and so on.

A database allows the school to neatly organize this data and retrieve information like a list of
students who have paid the fees or the top scorers in Class 10 exams almost instantly instead
of going through piles of paperwork.

Types of Data with Examples

1. Structured Data

Example: Your school's attendance register.

Explanation: Just like a timetable, an attendance register has a very specific format. Each page
has columns for dates and rows for student names. Every day, the teacher marks 'Present' or
'Absent' in the relevant box. This is structured because it follows a strict pattern and format.
Real-Life Data Example: Customer data in a bank’s system. It includes specific fields like
Account Number, Name, Address, and Balance. Each piece of information has its own place, just
like the attendance entries in the register.

2. Unstructured Data

Example: The school's lost and found box.

Explanation: In the lost and found box, there's a mix of various items – a water bottle, a lunch
box, some books, a raincoat. These items don't follow a set format or order; they're just
collected in the box. It's unstructured because there's no specific way these items are organized.

Real-Life Data Example: Social media posts. On platforms like Facebook or Instagram, people
post text, images, videos, and emojis. These posts are varied and don’t fit into a uniform
structure, much like the random collection in the lost and found box.

3. Semi-structured Data

Example: Your school bulletin board.

Explanation: On the bulletin board, some information is structured, like the headings for
'Notices', 'Events', or 'Birthdays'. Under these headings, though, the information can vary – a
handwritten note, a printed circular, or a drawing. This mix of structured headings and varied
content under them makes it semi-structured.

Real-Life Data Example: Emails. An email has a structured part – the 'To', 'From', 'Subject', and
'Date' fields. The email body, however, can have various formats – text, images, links, etc. This
combination of structured and varied content resembles the school bulletin board.

Why Use a Database?

● Organized Data: Like a well-arranged bookshelf, it makes finding information easy and
fast.
● Data Security: Just as you lock your cupboard, databases have strong security to protect
data.
● Data Integrity: This means keeping the data accurate and consistent over time, just like
making sure your cupboard isn’t filled with things that don’t belong there.
● Easy Data Retrieval: Imagine you need to find a specific book in a library. If the books
weren’t organized, it would be a nightmare. Databases make retrieving specific
information easy.

Role of SQL in Databases:


SQL (Structured Query Language) is like the instructions you give to find something in your
cupboard. It’s a language used to communicate with the database.

Just like saying, “Please get me the red folder from the second drawer,” SQL is used to tell the
database what data you want to fetch, add, update, or delete.

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