Discuss various classifications of database with an example.


Q.) Discuss various classifications of database with an example.

Subject: Data Structures

Hierarchical Database

  • Structure: A hierarchical database is organized as a tree structure, with each node representing a record and the branches representing the relationships between records.

  • Example: A hierarchical database could be used to store an organizational chart, with each employee record being a node and the branches representing the reporting relationships between employees.

Network Database

  • Structure: A network database is similar to a hierarchical database, but it allows for more complex relationships between records. In a network database, each record can have multiple parents and multiple children.

  • Example: A network database could be used to store a bill of materials for a product, with each record representing a component of the product and the branches representing the assembly relationships between components.

Relational Database

  • Structure: A relational database is organized as a collection of tables, with each table representing a set of related records. Each record in a table is identified by a unique key, and the relationships between records are represented by foreign keys.

  • Example: A relational database could be used to store a customer database, with each table representing a different aspect of the customer relationship, such as customer demographics, purchase history, and customer service interactions.

Object-Oriented Database

  • Structure: An object-oriented database is similar to a relational database, but it allows for the storage of objects, which are complex data structures that can contain both data and methods.

  • Example: An object-oriented database could be used to store a product catalog, with each product being an object that contains information such as the product name, description, price, and availability.

Document-Oriented Database

  • Structure: A document-oriented database is a non-relational database that stores data in JSON documents. JSON documents are flexible data structures that can contain a variety of data types, including text, numbers, arrays, and objects.

  • Example: A document-oriented database could be used to store a blog, with each blog post being a JSON document that contains the post title, content, and author information.

Graph Database

  • Structure: A graph database is a non-relational database that stores data as nodes and edges. Nodes represent entities, and edges represent the relationships between entities.

  • Example: A graph database could be used to store a social network, with each person being a node and the relationships between people being represented by edges.

Column-Oriented Database

  • Structure: A column-oriented database is a type of relational database that stores data in columns rather than in rows. This allows for faster data retrieval for queries that involve a small number of columns.

  • Example: A column-oriented database could be used to store a financial trading database, with each column representing a different financial instrument and each row representing a trade.