Creating a database from scratch: Part 1 – Understanding the basics – Interesting Engineering

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A database is an organized collection of structured data stored and accessed electronically. It is made so that large amounts of data can be quickly retrieved, added, or deleted.
Databases are used for a wide range of services and applications, like storing data, managing data, and analyzing data.
While small databases can be hosted on a file system, large databases are housed on computer clusters or in the cloud.
You may be familiar with some of it, but if you're new to the database, don't worry; here's some basic information to get you started.

The main components of a database are:
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Don't worry if you are not familiar with most, if not all, of these terms, as you'll quickly get to grips with them once you start building your own database.
Building a database requires a little thought and unless experienced, a lot of trial and error. You'll need to factor in a few key issues before you begin but try not to get lost in the details at this stage.
Generally speaking, when considering building your database, you'll want to consider the following points: –

In the vast majority of cases, the above simple checklist will suffice, but for large deployments (like an app that will have millions of users, say), there will be other issues to deal with. However, such large implementations are beyond the scope of this introductory overview.
So, once you've made the big decision to build a database, one of the most important decisions you'll need to make is which DBMS to choose.
The best DBMS for building a database depends on several factors, including:

Based on these considerations, some popular DBMS for database development include:
MongoDB: a document-oriented NoSQL database management system known for its scalability and ease of use.
The best choice will depend on the size and complexity of your database, the type of data you need to store, performance requirements, and budget. Evaluating a few different options is recommended, and choosing the one best fits your needs.
So, you've made it this far. Not too daunting, is it? But, before we get deeper into more specifics (like making an actual database using any of the DBMSs mentioned above, here are some key takeaways you should always keep in the front of your mind.
Since databases are fancy collections of connected tables, you may want to plan your first database using Excel. This will focus your mind on the data you wish to and types and helps you find ways to reduce or eliminate data replication.
Take cell dropdown lists, for example. That can be a separate table in your database that connects (i.e., is relational) to a central data table.
It can also save you a ton of time if you already have some datasets you want to convert into spreadsheet form. In most cases, you can import the spreadsheet as a new table in your database!
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Structured Query Language (SQL) is the foundation of most relational databases. So, consider this a "must learn" since it offers a uniform interface to relational databases like Oracle, SQL Server, Microsoft Access, and others.
SQL isn't that tricky to pick up, and there are plenty of free and paid-for learning resources online.
Choosing a primary key is one of the most important decisions when designing a new database. You must ensure that the selected key is unique, which is the main restriction.
A shared attribute is a wrong choice for a primary key if one value attribute can appear in two records. Additionally, it would be best to avoid private information like Social Security numbers and other delicate values as a primary key.
Although NULL is a unique value in databases, newcomers frequently misunderstand it.
Consider a NULL value to mean "unknown" whenever you encounter one. For instance, a NULL quantity need not always be zero. A text field with a NULL value indicates that the value is unknown rather than inappropriate.

It is, in effect, a placeholder rather than a piece of data.
And that is your lot for today.
By following the steps outlined above, you should have a solid foundational understanding of the process and be able to design and build a database that meets your specific needs. Remember to take the time to plan your database structure, choose the right technology, and test your database thoroughly before deployment.
With these best practices in mind, you can build a database that is reliable, scalable, and optimized for performance. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, the knowledge and skills you've gained from this article will serve as a valuable foundation for future database development projects.
In the next episode of this series, we'll guide you through building one using one of the most common DBMSs, MySQL.

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