MySQL RDBMS - Relational Database Management System

RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System

What is RDBMS?

RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System.

RDBMS is a program used to maintain a relational database.

RDBMS is the basis for all modern database systems such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Microsoft Access.

RDBMS uses SQL queries to access the data in the database.

What is a Database Table?

A table is a collection of related data entries, and it consists of columns and rows.

A column holds specific information about every record in the table.

A record (or row) is each individual entry that exists in a table.

Look at a selection from the Northwind "Customers" table:

CustomerID CustomerName ContactName Address City PostalCode Country
1

Alfreds Futterkiste Maria Anders Obere Str. 57 Berlin 12209 Germany
2 Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados Ana Trujillo Avda. de la Constitución 2222 México D.F. 05021 Mexico
3 Antonio Moreno Taquería Antonio Moreno Mataderos 2312 México D.F. 05023 Mexico
4

Around the Horn Thomas Hardy 120 Hanover Sq. London WA1 1DP UK
5 Berglunds snabbköp Christina Berglund Berguvsvägen 8 Luleå S-958 22 Sweden

The columns in the "Customers" table above are: CustomerID, CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode and Country. The table has 5 records (rows).

What is a Relational Database?

A relational database defines database relationships in the form of tables. The tables are related to each other - based on data common to each.

Look at the following three tables "Customers", "Orders", and "Shippers" from the Northwind database:

Customers Table

CustomerID CustomerName ContactName Address City PostalCode Country
1

Alfreds Futterkiste Maria Anders Obere Str. 57 Berlin 12209 Germany
2 Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados Ana Trujillo Avda. de la Constitución 2222 México D.F. 05021 Mexico
3 Antonio Moreno Taquería Antonio Moreno Mataderos 2312 México D.F. 05023 Mexico
4

Around the Horn Thomas Hardy 120 Hanover Sq. London WA1 1DP UK
5 Berglunds snabbköp Christina Berglund Berguvsvägen 8 Luleå S-958 22 Sweden

The relationship between the "Customers" table and the "Orders" table is the CustomerID column:

Orders Table

OrderID CustomerID EmployeeID OrderDate ShipperID
10278

5 8 1996-08-12 2
10280 5 2 1996-08-14 1
10308 2 7 1996-09-18 3
10355

4 6 1996-11-15 1
10365 3 3 1996-11-27 2
10383 4 8 1996-12-16 3
10384 5 3 1996-12-16 3

The relationship between the "Orders" table and the "Shippers" table is the ShipperID column:

Shippers Table

ShipperID ShipperName Phone
1 Speedy Express (503) 555-9831
2 United Package (503) 555-3199
3 Federal Shipping (503) 555-9931