Databases A Beginner's Guide

Introduction

Thirty-five years ago, databases were found only in special research laboratories, where computer scientists struggled with ways to make them efficient and useful, publishing their findings in countless research papers. Today databases are a ubiquitous part of the information technology (IT) industry and business in general. We directly and indirectly use databases every day—banking transactions, travel reservations, employment relationships, website searches, online and offline purchases, and most other transactions are recorded in and served by databases.

As is the case with many fast-growing technologies, industry standards have lagged behind in the development of database technology, resulting in myriad commercial products, each ...