What is a Database? Everything you need to know
Tags: webdev, beginners, sql, programming
Published: 2024-03-03 07:40:33

In this section, I am going to give you guys a full introduction into databases.

So, we are not going to get too specific on any one point. Basically, I want to show you guys what databases are, in general. We are going to talk about how databases are used, why we use databases, and the different types of databases that you will find out in the world.

So this should basically just give you an introduction to databases in general. If you don't know anything about databases, then this course will kind of walk you through and get you up to speed with what you need to know, so you can go off and start learning how to use an actual database.

So, the first question is, what is a Database(DB)?

You will often see databases abbreviated as DB. So, DB stands for Database. And really, a database is any collection of related information. What I am showing you guys here is the absolute most general definition of this word.

A database really if you want to get down to it is any collection of related information. That could be something like a phonebook, a shopping list, a todo list, your 5 best friends, Facebook's userbase.

All of these are examples of databases. All of these are collections of information that store related stuff. 

- So, the phone book. This stores people's phone numbers. Their names and phone numbers. So, a collection of related information.

- A to-do list. This stores a list of things you want to do during the day. It is related information.

- Your 5 best friends. That is information that you are storing somewhere. If I came up and asked you who your 5 best friends are, I'm sure you could list them off.

That in essence is a database. It is a collection or related information.

- And then Facebook's userbase. So, all of the users that Facebook keeps track of its source. That is another example of a database.

So databases can be stored in different ways. So you can store a database on paper. If I had a shopping list of a to-do list, I might just scribble that down on a piece of paper.

You can store a database on your mind. So, your 5 best friends for example. If I came up to you and asked you, "List off your 5 best friends."

You probably don't have it written somewhere. You don't have like an app on your phone that tells you who your friends are. You just know that information on your mind. Naturally.

So that is another way you can store a database. You just store the information on your mind.

You can store the information on a computer, and this is probably the most common use case. People will create a database and store all of the information on their computer.

And finally, like a comment section. If you go down to the comment section of an article or a video, that is a database, right?

It is a general database that is storing comments for the video.

So, that is really in essence everything that you need to know about databases to get started. It is a collection of related information that can be stored in different ways.

P.S. This is a small sneak preview of my flagship course, [The Art of Web Development](https://karlgusta.gumroad.com/l/svvba). 14 Chapters and 111 Lessons that will teach you how to build a web app and get a high-paying job (even if you're just starting or don't have an idea).


See you on the next one. Happy coding!