Talk:Relational database

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The following users are actively contributing to this topic and may be able to help with questions about verification and sources: mckaysalisbury (talk • contribs • email)

Relational database has had a peer review by Wikipedia editors which is now archived. It may contain ideas you can use to improve this article.

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Current Talk 1 2

Contents 1 Another new archive 2 Peer Review 3 Request 4 Dump the quibbles

[edit] Another new archive

I created a new archive, because the page was getting a bit long, and most of it was me just being pedantic. As always, we're looking for ways to improve the article. Be bold. McKay 04:16, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Peer Review

Wow, we haven't had even a minor substantive change (that wasn't reverted), since 15:27, 16 August 2006. This is too stagnant. We need a peer review. McKay 15:31, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Request

Any chance someone could make this page more readable to the layman? Sections such as 'advantages and disadvantages over other types of database' or 'uses' might help, or just inclusion of this info in the intro. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 85.210.173.159 (talk • contribs) 14:54, 18 September 2006 (UTC2)

I replied to his talk page that he probably meant RDBMS McKay 23:50, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dump the quibbles

Too great a percentage of the introductory matter is scolding laymen (or marketing droids) for abusing terms like RDBMS and relational database. Okay, we get it: the software is not the database (any more than a word processor is a document). Let's cut to the chase.

I propose adding one sentence, and tucking it away somewhere less prominent, pointing out the distinction between, say MS SQL Server (a database program) and the abstract idea of a database (a collection of related tables). --Uncle Ed 22:06, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Drat, I can't please everyone. Maybe it could be less berating, but the comments I kept getting while writing this article were "well, why would I use one relational database over another" Where such a concept is probably referring to DBMSs. It is very common for people to misuse the term. I belive it is WP's policy to include such misuses (especially very popular ones) in the intro paragraph. Additional discussion on the subject would be most welcome. McKay 03:43, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh, sorry. I get it now. The colloquial usage is to refer to database software as a "relational database". If I can come up with a gentler way to point out the distinction, I'll add it to the article.

Something like,

• In discussions about software, some people blur the distinction between a relational database and a DBMS. For example, they may refer to Oracle as a "database" when strictly speaking it is software which manages a database.

Okay, McKay? --Uncle Ed 17:03, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Hmm, I want to emphasize that an RDBMS is not a relational database, though some people use it mistakenly, Other than that, I like it, and it is better than what we have in explaining that. McKay 19:01, 4 December 2006 (UTC)