A History of Database Evolution
A history of database evolution would not necessarily begin with the advent of the computer age, but that is certainly when it shifted into high gear and took off.
There have been databases as long as people realized that there was such a thing as data and understood the value of information. Information has always been a key element in the success of any human enterprise. The earliest databases may have been scratch marks on stone tablets, but they were certainly ways that people kept track of information. As time went on, the methods for storing data and using it became a bit more advanced although progress was certainly slow. The history of database evolution was about to have a major speed up event.
The painstakingly slow work of recording data in ledgers by hand was the method of database storage for most of the centuries that followed. It was in the last half of the last century that the event took place that would change the history of data forever. The history of the development of the computer tells of man’s search to store and organize data. As the computer developed into the modern marvel that features rapid processing and almost limitless storage capacity, the database reached true maturity.
However, its evolution was not finished. Now, began a process of organizing the database to best utilize the new technology. The first type of database was called a file system or flat file database. It involved placing each bit of data in a specific file where it was stored until it needed to be used. Although huge database files were possible, the lack of a system of coordination between the files led to a lot of redundancy. A way was needed to organize the files in a manner that allowed them to interact.
The Hierarchical database was an attempt to solve this problem. It placed the files in a tree like arrangement. This arrangement is sometimes called a parent/child system. The parent file contained several separate children files that were related. Computer uses are used to this type of database through the use of Windows operating systems that work on a similar system. When you open an item on a Windows menu, it offers a menu giving you further choices. The choices are sub files or children of the parent file.
Although this advance in design organized the data in a much more efficient manner, it failed to address the problem of redundancy completely. It also was still difficult for data to be coordinated easily and to be interactive. The newest developments in database design feature network type databases that are much more interactive. These types of systems are new and fairly complex. In most cases, trained database design professionals are needed to design and operate them.
You can be fairly certain that the evolution of the database has not reached its conclusion. Even today, the network types of databases are being made simple and soon will be taught to school children. The surge of technical knowledge is like a wave breaking over the sands of the future and the database is at its crest. A database is an information base and we are moving into the information age. Where this evolution will end is anyone’s guess, but it is sure to be interesting and certainly informative.