How to choose a database
Seleccionar una base de datos requiere evaluar compatibilidad técnica, estructura de información y necesidades reales de almacenamiento.
Choosing a database is a complex and difficult matter. In general, it cannot be said that one database is better than another. Each one is suitable for a specific application. One may offer greater speed in searching and sorting but not allow the inclusion of security fields, while another may include such fields but work with a language that is difficult for the non-specialized user to understand.
Therefore, many factors must be weighed before definitively choosing the one we consider appropriate. Not every database will be useful for the problem we intend to address.
Although it may sound obvious, the first thing we must do is clearly determine what applications we will use it for—and not the other way around, meaning buying the database first and then adjusting to its limitations and capabilities. If anything must adapt, it is the database to us, not us to it. The market offers enough database options for at least one to match our needs. Among the ones you consider useful, do not purchase the cheapest. In computing, the cheapest is not always the best or the most suitable.
Below, we will examine some important points when choosing a database. Some points are essential (such as compatibility with the computer), while others are not. Their importance depends on the needs of the intended application.
Hardware requirements
These hardware requirements include:
– The operating system of our computer. Each database specifies which operating system it supports. Generally, this is not limited to one and can work with several.
– The model of the computer.
– Sometimes the microprocessor used by the computer is also specified.
– The minimum memory capacity required for the system, since databases need a certain amount of memory to function correctly.
It must be remembered that if our computer fails to meet any of the hardware requirements specified by the database manufacturer, the database will not work for us. Given the broad range of databases available on the market, we should have no difficulty finding one that suits our needs.
Storage capacity. Structure
Once we have determined what type of application we want to build and which databases are compatible with our computer, we must create a plan for how we will structure our database. What does structuring a database consist of? To explain it, we must return to the concepts of files, records and fields.
Structuring a database means defining record size, field length and everything related to the dimensions the information will occupy. Each database has different characteristics that may either facilitate or limit the structure we wish to design.
The characteristics we should consider are:
– Maximum number of fields per record.
– Maximum number of records per file.
– Maximum length of each field.
– Types of data it accepts (numeric, alphanumeric).
Capacity does not depend on the type of database we choose but on the size (capacity) of the disk we work with. Naturally, the larger the disk—whether hard or floppy—the more expensive it will be. Since money is almost always the limiting factor, we must estimate how much information we want to store in order to purchase a disk of the appropriate size. Disk capacity is measured in Kbytes. If you do not need large amounts of memory, a 256 Kb disk will suffice. With a 1 Mb (Megabyte) disk, you will have enough space for any application.
