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Relational Databases

Relational databases organize data into tables made up of rows and columns, where each table represents an entity (such as users, orders, or products) and relationships are defined through keys.

Key Concepts​

  • Table: A collection of related data organized in rows and columns.
  • Row (record): A single entry in a table.
  • Column (field): A specific attribute of the entity (for example, name, email, price).
  • Primary key: A unique identifier for each record in a table.
  • Foreign key: A column that creates a relationship between two tables by referencing a primary key.

When to Use a Relational Database​

Relational databases are a great fit when:

  • Data has well-defined structure and relationships.
  • You need strong consistency and integrity guarantees.
  • Complex queries and joins are common.

Examples of relational databases include MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, and SQLite.