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MySQL 5 Development (Part 1) Tutorials
Database Basics / Definitions
Subtitles of the Movie (MySQL 5 Development (Part 1) / Database Basics / Definitions)
In order for us to discuss this subject intelligently it helps if we identify and define certain core concepts we will encounter in the subject matter. In this course and in related courses to follow this one, we are concerned with various aspects of a database. You will find as you work in this field that many people, especially end-users, get a little fuzzy in their use of technical terminology. That lack of precision leads to misunderstandings, problems, and errors which are more difficult to solve without an ability to accurately describe them to others. So as we encounter more concepts throughout this and other courses, I will attempt to at least briefly define the terms we use for describing concepts and operations in that topic, that is the process we will begin in this lesson. Here we will deal with just a few very basic terms, but there will be plenty more as we dig deeper. So just what do we mean when we talk about a database? In the most general sense we are talking about a collection of information, but that can be anything from a shoebox of receipts or even just scraps of paper and other things with writing scratched on them, to far more sophisticated computerized systems like those we are exploring in this course, so collection of information isn't a very accurate description. In this course we are discussing structured collections of information, which further implies that we can work with that information more efficiently, so we will have to learn about how to structure the data among other things. The software that we use to deal with our collection of information is called a Database Management System and we will often see that abbreviated as DBMS. The Database Management System is not the database; it is simply the tool we use for working with the database. It provides access to the data as well as many administrative mechanisms for protecting the data. We also tend to work with the database server through an application; this provides an interface that makes tasks easier for end-users who don't understand all of the programming constructs involved in accessing the data. However, because the application is the only thing the user sees, many people end up merging the concept of the database, the database management system and the application in their conversation, so that's where the fuzziness in the terminology comes from. The most prevalent Database Management System in use today are based on the relational technique of Database Management. That term does not mean that we can relate rows in one table with rows in another as is commonly thought, it means that the philosophy behind the way that we structure data is based on the mathematical concept of a Relation from Set Theory. A relation is a collection of tuples of data that are true in a specific context or operation, in this philosophy a Table is a Relation that is stored in the database. A Result Set is a relation that we derive from the tables in the database. It is not important that we understand this distinction; I just thought that you might be interested. Because this is the foundation of our database management system, the database management system is often referred to as a Relational Database Management System or RDBMS. The most active part of the Database Management System is called the Server; this is the central software program in the system and the one that actually manages the database. Again, many people get a bit fuzzy on this term as well. The Server is not the computer hardware on which the data is stored, it is the software program running on a computer we call the Host computer for the Server. There are additional programs called Clients that are also part of the system. The Server, the Client programs that give us access to the Server, and the Database that the Server manages could possibly all be located on separate computers or they could all be on the same computer. The important thing from our point of view is the interaction among them; we will explore the relationship between the Client programs we use and the Server in the next lesson.
Tutorial Information
| Course: | MySQL 5 Development (Part 1) |
| Author: | David Swain |
| SKU: | 34225 |
| ISBN: | 1-936334-93-3 |
| Release Date: | 2011-05-27 |
| Duration: | 11 hrs / 129 lessons |
| Work Files: |
Yes |
| Captions: | No |
| Compatibility: |
Vista/XP/2000, OS X, Linux QuickTime 7, Flash 8 |
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