Week 1

 Week 1 (4/28-5/6)

First week in Intro to Database Systems

1. Relational database tables and spreadsheets look similar with both having rows and columns.  What are some important differences between the two?

One of the main differences between relational databases and spreadsheets is the rules, such as the data types and relationships between tables, that spreadsheets don't have. Also, databases manage data more securely, allowing many users to access data simultaneously. DB can query SQL to search, join, and analyze data better.

For instance, using Excel to track customer transactions, anyone can type anything without making sure not to leave blanks, misspell, or enter text instead of numbers. Meanwhile, databases preserve rules like ensuring transaction data has a valid date, transaction ID exists in the transaction tables, and the amount is a number instead of text. Relational DB prevents bad data from filtering when big data sets are implemented and keeps everything linked.

2. Installing and configuration a database and learning how to use it is more complicated that just reading and writing data to a file.  What are some important reasons that makes a database a useful investment of time? 

The most important reason a database is a useful time investment is that it prevents mistakes, keeps data concise, and follows rules and constraints to keep all users on the same page in a safe manner. Also, DBs protect data with backups and recovery features, which are extremely helpful when mistakes happen. 

3. What do you want to learn in this course that you think will be useful in your future career? 

This is one of the core classes in CS, at least, for the Data Science field that interests me quite a lot. I want to gain as much knowledge as possible to help me understand how a company's warehouse stores all the data and how it is handled across departments when interning at a company or in the workforce.