Week 6: Blog Post 5 - Relational Database Theory

Relational Database Theory


Definition

A relational database (RDB) is defined as a collection of multiple data sets stored and organized as items in a set of formally described tables (rows & columns). This data can be accessed or reassembled in any customizable way at a later point in time. This neat piece of creation was invented by Edgar F. Codd at IBM 1970 [1]. RDB runs on Structured Query Language (SQL), an application that provides a user-friendly programming interface for database interaction. [2] 


Types of RDBs
In an RDB, data is stored in a tabular format with rows and columns. A row represents a data instance and a column represents a column. One or more data that is stored relates to one or more data records to form functional dependencies. There are four types of dependencies:

• One to One: One table record relates to another record in another table.

• One to Many: One table record relates to many records in another table.

• Many to One: More than one table record relates to another table record.

• Many to Many: More than one table record relates to more than one record in another table. [2]

Function

The main capabilities of an RDB is its ability to communicate and relate one data instance stored in any row, any column, any table and any data set to another data instance in a likewise manner. The basic database operations are select, project and join. "Select" retrieves data, "project" identifies data characteristics and "join" combines relations of data instances.[2]

Other advantages include scalability and data security. It is basically a useful tool similar to Microsoft Excel, except instead of having computational power, it only stores data but can be store an enormous amount of data/information. Data security capabilities provide certain users access to all datasets while giving the option of preventing some users to access only certain databases. 

[1] http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/relational-database

[2] https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1234/relational-database-rdb


Comments:

Mark:

I read your article as a way to compare the content we found since we have the same topic. Essentially, we cover the same content such as keywords in the definition of a database, the importance of relations. Great job on including the figures as it highlights and exemplifies the difference between tables with relations and one without.

Tyler:

My blog post covered the topic of Relational Database Theory which is basically the body of data storing. But while reading I saw that SQL is the main "language" used when talking to these databases we created. And your article reinforced my initially understanding of what SQL does. The highlight of your article to me is that SQL is still used as the main language used to talk to databases which I would assume technology nowadays would have probably have replaced it. But I like your idea (more so a statement) that SQL is and should co-evolve with databases and its various types. Not just simple inventory tables but complex large scale data such as AutoCAD and Revit related data per family created.


Chris:

I agree that time is money and money is time in the world of construction. this DSM sounds like a pretty neat piece of technology that could potentially revolutionize future construction work. Hours vs Months is quite a feat to achieve but what I would be worried is the socio and economical problems that will arise when "machines start stealing human's jobs".