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Kelechi Kizito Ugwu
Kelechi Kizito Ugwu

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Databases simplified

A database is a structured set of data, held in a computer; especially one that is accessible in various ways. A database is controlled by a Database Management System (DBMS).

Databases are mainly categorized into the following:
SQL(Structured Query Language)
NOSQL(Not Only Structured Query Language)

A SQL is a programming language used to query and retrieve information in a relational database .It groups data into rows and columns. It is best suited to data that have lots of relationships between each other. The following are examples:
MySQL
SQLite
PostgreSQL

A NOSQL groups data into JSON(JavaScript Object Notation) objects.NOSQL is an approach to database design that enables the storage and querying of data outside the traditional structures found in relational database i.e. It is a non-relational database. It is best suited to data that have a one-to-many relationship. Examples include:
MongoDB
Apache CouchDB
Couchbase

Other types of database software include the following:
Hierarchical
Network
Object-oriented
Distributed

The following table summarizes the differences between SQL and NOSQL:

SQL
NOSQL
more mature
shiny and new
tabular structure
document structure
requires a schema
more flexible to change
great with relationships
not great with relationships
scales vertically
horizontally scalable

While each type of database has its own advantages, companies commonly utilize both NoSQL and relational databases in a single application. Today’s cloud providers can support SQL or NoSQL databases. Which database you choose depends on your goals.

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