The Evolution of The Database

Intro

People have been collecting information since the dawn of recorded history. Very shortly after we started recording we ran in to the problem of storage. Where do we put all of this information? We soon developed written languages so we could store our collected information. The next problem to arise was retrieval of our stored information. This led to the development of systems like the dewy decimal system. Organizing books by subject and author made information retrieval a little easier. However, it was computer that revolutionized information storage and retrieval. Thus the first databases where born.

Flat File

Flat file databases where the first of many database models, almost as old as the computer. Flat file databases stored data in text files saved in the file system. There was little to no organization, it was a step backwards in data organization. The only real befit was that data could be retrieved remarkable speed, when the database was used by a very skilled programmer. This created a new problem. It now requires a very select set of skills to access any data, and not everyone wanting access to said data had these specific skills.

Hierarchical

The next big thing in the organization of data was the hierarchical database. This approach added structure to the storage and retrieval of data. With a hierarchical structure information is stored in a manner similar to the organization of a computer file system. The data is arranged with a root parent that has one or more children. This method of organization allows for very quick access of a large number of records. However, this vast improvement over its predecessor still had one of its major flaws. It still requires a skilled database programmer to access setu...

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...plex database structures. The object model even removes the need for associtave tables to accommodate for “many-to-many” relationships. In spite of the advanced features of the object model it suffers from an old problem. Like its ancestors the object model is very difficult to use.

Conclusion

People have been recording information for millennia, but only recently have we used computers to organize it. Through trial and error we have refined methods of origination, and retrieval. With the relatively new invitation of computers, and databases, we have made great leaps of advancement in such a short time. Through reason, and innovation, we shall continue to improve on the process of knowledge management.

Works Cited

Database Development. Boston: Pearson Custom Pub., 2008. Print.

Powell, Gavin. Beginning Database Design. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley, 2006. Print.