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Databases allow us to store and retrieve data practically, efficiently, and in fun ways!
Databases allow us to store and retrieve data practically, efficiently, and in fun ways!
Introduction
Introduction
Before we get technical, consider this quote:
“Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine.”
— Peter Sondergaard, Gartner Research
We live in the information age. But information doesn’t just appear. Information comes from data, and databases are what make data usable.
From Data to Wisdom
From Data to Wisdom
Data by itself doesn’t mean much. Value comes from how we interpret it.
Data → Information → Knowledge → Wisdom
Example 1
Example 1
Data: 500
Information: 500 miles
Knowledge: 500 miles is a long distance
Wisdom: That’s too far to walk. I’ll drive
Example 2
Example 2
Data: 9
Information: 9 out of 10 stars
Knowledge: The movie is highly rated
Wisdom: I should probably watch it
Databases help us move from raw data to informed decisions.
Image from: https://textcortex.com/post/data-vs-information
Looking at Real-World Data
Looking at Real-World Data
Governments collect massive amounts of data, and much of it is public.
Data.gov was launched in 2009 to make government datasets accessible and machine-readable.
Try this:
Search for a dataset
Ask yourself: Can this data be turned into useful information?
Activity: Data → Information
Search Data.gov for:
“Number of deaths in Maryland” or
“Number of smokers in Maryland”
Download a CSV file
Open it in Excel
Use your spreadsheet skills to visualize the data
Activity - Query a Database
Activity - Query a Database
Let's use a database to find the #1 song on the U.S. Billboard Charts the day you were born!
Click here to open The Ultimate Music Database
Put your birthday in the fields and click search.
You've just queried a database!
What Is a Database?
What Is a Database?
A database is an organized collection of data that allows information to be:
Stored efficiently
Retrieved quickly
Updated easily
Databases let us search, filter, and connect data in ways spreadsheets can’t.
Relational Databases (The Most Common Kind)
Relational Databases (The Most Common Kind)
A relational database stores data in tables that can be connected.
Each table has rows (records)
Each column is a field
Tables are connected using keys
Data is retrieved using queries
Queries are written using SQL (Structured Query Language).
Think about the system you used to register for this class (SIMON).
There might be:
A Students table
A Courses table
A Registrations table
Each table stores different data, but they’re connected.
Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
If you’ve ever used IMDb (Internet Movie Database), you’ve used a relational database.
A movie has many actors
An actor appears in many movies
Movies have genres, ratings, directors, release years, etc.
Activity: Explore IMDb
Search for a movie
Click an actor
Explore other movies they appear in
You’re watching relational data in action.
The second column in the tables above is the data types of the data. This is important as it is in Excel. Different data have different capabilities. For example, you generally can't add letters together.
Why This Matters
Why This Matters
Databases power nearly everything in the digital age. Understanding how data is structured and connected helps you:
Make sense of information
Ask better questions
Build smarter systems
Use technology more intentionally
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