Database Management SystemPainos 1

A database management system (DBMS) is a collection of programs that enable users to create and maintain a database; it also consists of a collection of interrelated data and a set of programs to access that data. Hence, a DBMS is a general-purpose software system that facilitates the processes of defining, constructing, and manipulating databases for various applications.

The primary goal of a DBMS is to provide an environment that is both convenient and efficient to use in retrieving and storing database information. It is an interface between the user of application programs, on the one hand, and the database, on the other.

The objective of Database Management System: An Evolutionary Approach, is to enable the learner to

• grasp a basic understanding of a DBMS, its need, and its terminologies
• discern the difference between the traditional file-based systems and a DBMS
• code while learning to grasp theory in a practical way
• study provided examples and case studies for better comprehension

This book is intended to give under- and postgraduate students a fundamental background in DBMSs. The book follows an evolutionary learning approach that emphasizes the basic concepts and builds a strong foundation to learn more advanced topics including normalizations, normal forms, PL/SQL, transactions, concurrency control, etc.

This book also gives detailed knowledge with a focus on entity-relationship (ER) diagrams and their reductions into tables, with sufficient SQL codes for a more practical understanding.