Database Types

Database Types

There are a large variety of database types from a variety of vendors available to online consumers, but for the purpose of this article we’re going to look at the three most commonly available types for simple web hosting customers: Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL, and MySQL.

Is Microsoft Access Right For You?

To begin with, we’ll take a look at Microsoft Access databases. Access databases are incredibly easy to create, customize, and use, and they are widely available through the Microsoft Office family of products. Unfortunately, they are far from ideal for online applications. Microsoft Access was intended to be used for simple database operations for your home PC, such as developing a catalog of your DVD collection. It was not intended for online environments, and it performs very poorly when placed under stress by high load. Simply put, it is a bad idea to use an Access database when developing an online application and you should try to avoid it.

Can Your Server Support What You Want?

Microsoft SQL and MySQL, on the other hand, are well-suited to online environments and should be utilized when building dynamic web applications. Functionally, they are very similar, and the only real question you have to ask yourself is “What kind of hosting will I be using?” If your account is on a Windows server, you will have access to both MSSQL and MySQL (assuming your host has them installed). A Linux server, on the other hand, will only have MySQL available. Also, if you’re not developing your own application and are instead using a pre-packaged application, always be mindful of which platform it was developed on. Many free online content management systems, such as Wordpress, require MySQL, so always read the documentation to make sure that your server can support it.

Read Up And Learn About Database Systems

If you’re interested in developing, but don’t have any clue as to what Structured Query Language (SQL) is or how it works, find yourself a tutorial or buy an ‘SQL for Dummies’ book. Understanding database systems is usually the foundation for developing online applications, so get reading.
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