Question

How can you explain a database to a non technical person? How would you describe the advantages and disadvantages of using a database over tracking data in a spreadsheet?

Answer 1

Database helps to organize a collection of records with all records having same set of attributes in same order but may have different value.

Hence database is an efficient way to handle storage of collection of records with all records have same fields types in same order.

The advantage of database over spreadsheet are following :-

1. We can impose constraints like referential integrity constrains, primary key constraints, attribute value constraints .

2. We can apply normalization operation in relation database to prevent insertion, deletion and updation anomalies.

3. Building index over primary fields, range queries are more efficient in database .

The disadvantage of database over spreadsheet are following :-

1. Pattern of all the attributes has to be predefined and

2. All the records in database has to follow same pattern and same order of data types.

Please comment for any clarification .

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