What are the most common in practice which databases?

Working with the database accompanies any more or less complex project. DB acts as a repository of information, which contains all the parameters necessary for the correct operation of the system. And what are the most common practices in practice? When are they being used? These, as well as other questions can be found answers within the framework of this article.

general information

So, first you need to decide what the program is. The database is the name for the orderly storage of arbitrary information. It can be organized not only with the help of IT-technologies, but also in other ways and methods. But the principle of systematization should be used as a basis.

It should be noted that there are a lot of ways to organize and save data. Each of the ways puts forward certain requirements. There are databases that are aimed at autonomous work within a single computer. Others provide for interaction with a remote server. If we talk about architecture, then the most common are hierarchical and network databases. This article will focus on them.

Hierarchical databases

The architecture of the system in this case provides that each object is represented as a specific entity. Because of this, it can have parent or child elements. The peculiarity of this architecture is that there must be one object from which everything begins. In the end, we get a structure that looks like a tree. To understand how such an organization works, almost any old program will help. A database of this type is also the computer's file system.

It can often be heard that the use of such a structure is not something effective. But nevertheless, it is still widely used. This is due to the fact that working with the database is beneficial when it is necessary to mainly read the information. After all, in this case, the structure of construction is extremely conducive to this. As an example, let's consider this situation: when we select a specific folder, the interaction takes place quickly. But we need to run the anti-virus scan of the computer, as it will continue for a very long time.

Network databases

This is a kind of modification of the example considered earlier. The main difference here is the number of connections. So, in hierarchical databases it is provided that one element can have only one parent. Thus, we can talk about a certain stiffness in the development of the database. Network databases can have several parents. This is more about creating a database based on XML.

Relational databases

The most common in practice are exactly these, if we talk about the mass use, editing, and so on. The reason for their popularity is that relational databases are very easy to describe in mathematics. Due to the ease of implementation, they are widely used.

Mathematician Edgar Frank Codd (now deceased) summed up the theoretical basis for them. In the eighties he was able to describe the structure of such databases in a very detailed and qualitative way, using the mathematical language. And as practice shows, such a rationale is a good basis for program implementation. Relational databases have become so popular that when they talk about databases, they understand them by default. Let's pay attention to the specifics of their implementation.

Features of relational databases

Their main distinguishing feature is that the data is stored as sets of two-dimensional tables. As a simple example, you can see the Access database included in the Microsoft office suite. In the role of alpha and omega columns and rows are used. The peculiarity of the former is that by means of them the name of the fields, the type of data used in them, is used. In addition, the number of columns is fixed and can be changed only with database administrator rights. The lines are information objects. Their number varies relatively easily through the provision of special instructions.

It is necessary to understand that the DB is an abstract concept. Therefore, the most common in practice are databases in which tables are linked. Very good graphical representation in this matter can give the Access mentioned earlier. The most important aspect when working is the design of the structure. This process is to create the above-mentioned elements. It should be noted that this is a difficult stage, to which many beginners are frivolous. And in vain. After all, while there is little data, they will be processed quickly by a computer. But as the amount of information increases, there will be a noticeable slowdown. Its value will be directly proportional to the size of the stored data and the optimality of the structure construction.

Designing databases

So, we considered the most popular options for building a database. Now let's talk about what approaches are the most common in practice are when they are created and why. As an example, consider MySQL. So, to the final result there are such requirements:

• The database should be a simple object in terms of processing.
• The database should be compact in size.

With experience, it is easy to see that these concepts are contradictory. First, you need to understand exactly what will be transferred to the database and be removed from it. In serious projects, you can find dozens and hundreds of tables with an incredible number of objects. The following questions should be considered:

1. Determine what data will be stored.
2. Find out where the information will be posted.
3. Decide what type of data to select for a single column.

To reduce the load, you can use a breakdown into separate tables. But it is necessary to take care of that there are certain unifying components.

Conclusion

Databases are important components of any more or less complex project. Initially, in practical implementation, a person may not be able to organize an optimal connection. But over time, when studying this field and increasing the experience, you can already create more advanced objects.

Also, we should not ignore the fact that gradually more sophisticated software structures are being offered. In addition, the database management system can also help in optimization . They provide the developer with a wide range of functions that can be used to accomplish almost any task. The variety of DBMS is quite large, so you can choose exactly what you want to taste.