This post follows up on the tech tip I recorded for Episode 261 of the Just the Books podcast. This continues the series about websites and how they’re made. This series is not intended to deeply explore the topic, the primary goal is to build a foundation for understanding how websites are put together, the tools that can be used, and how innovation is changing and advancing this topic.
Databases are organized collections of data.
While there are several types of databases, the relational database is most commonly in use today. It allows for keys to link data together and reduces redundancy in data.
Once a database is designed, by describing its schema, it is most commonly accessed through SQL(Structured Query Language) — a programming language specifically for interacting with databases.
A simple table as described in the tech tip, stored in a spreadsheet:
The basic schema of our Books and Authors tables:
Additional Resources
- How Stuff Works: What is a relational database
- MySQL one of the most common databases used for small business websites.
Note: I am not happy with the resources I’m finding online. I will expand this tip and provide additional tutorials as time permits. If you have a specific question, please contact me.