However, it's not just for web development - these database engines can be used for any sort of access, although people looking to write 'normal' applications may find the internet slant of the book a little disconcerting. Review Most people, when databases are mentioned, generally remember the flat-file system of yore. Each datum was placed on a card, which contained a form to contain all the relevant database. A database was then made up of a set of these cards, which could be searched, browsed, etc., just like the old library system. Hence the 'invention' of relational databases.
Relational databases are a funny breed.
If you're using a database, it's more than likely a relational one. The likelihood of that database being setup correctly, though, is rather slim. The problem is that they're quite complicated in some ways, and this is exacerbated by database programs such as Microsoft Access, which have their own sweet way of doing things, often to the contrary of the standard conventions. This book, from the very beginning, starts to teach good database design. Normalization, generally known as the process of making a database sensible, is covered very comprehensively.