An Online Experience

 Hey everyone! As I reach the halfway point in my database course, I've gained valuable insights into the world of databases. Here are five key things I’ve learned so far: 1. Database Fundamentals Understanding the basics of databases has been crucial. I've learned about the differences between relational and non-relational databases and how data is structured within them. This foundational knowledge has set the stage for deeper exploration into database management.  2. SQL Queries One of the most practical skills I've developed is writing SQL queries. From manipulating data with commands like SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE to filtering and sorting data, mastering SQL has empowered me to interact with databases effectively. 3. Normalization Exploring the principles of database normalization has been enlightening. I now understand how to organize data efficiently, eliminate redundancy, and improve data integrity, all of which are essential for maintaining a robust databa...

 Hey everyone! We are now done with our third week of CST 363! It is so fun but also very challenging. We had an exam this week. We also were introduced to heap database and bitmaps. It was very confusing and took me a while to understand it. To answer this weeks questions, I reflected on two important questions regarding SQL. 1. What is an SQL view? How is it similar to a table? How is it different?        An SQL view is a virtual table that results from a query. It's similar to a table in that it can be queried and used in SELECT statements, but unlike a table, it doesn't store data itself—it's based on underlying tables. Views don't have primary keys, and while they allow us to retrieve data, their use in INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations is more limited. Depending on the database, some views are updatable, but generally, if a view contains complex joins or aggregations, direct modifications aren't allowed. 2. How does SQL compare to other programming lan...

 Hey everyone!      We are back with an update of this online journey. This has been a fun week. We learned so many new things. I find SQL easier to grasp onto, compared to other coding languages. It just seems very similar to our normal English language.       This week, we learned different types of joins, aggregation, and views. The labs really helped understand the concepts, after reading about them in Zybooks, and listening to Professor's lectures. The homework assignment seemed to go smoother as well, because of the practice we got in the lab assignments.   1.  SQL has the flexibility to join tables on any column(s) using any predicate (=, >, < ). Most of the time the join will use equality between a primary and foreign key. Think of example where joining on something other than keys would be needed. Write the query both as an English sentence and in SQL. If you can't think of your own example, search the textbook...

 Hey everyone, I am back after a long break!      This week was the first week of  a new course, Database designs. We came across a new language, SQL, and I must say, it was so much fun! Through Zybooks, we learned the basics. Professor's orientation video really helped to understand the concepts.  Key Differences Between Databases and Spreadsheets      To answer the questions, when starting to delve into data management, you might notice that relational database tables and spreadsheets look quite similar at first glance. Both structures organize data into rows and columns, which can make it easy to assume that they function in the same way. However, as you explore further, you'll discover that there are significant differences between the two.      While spreadsheets are great for simple data tracking and analysis, they lack robust mechanisms for maintaining data integrity. Relational databases, on the other hand, are designed...