Explain like I only speak in plain English

A database is a collection of data organized for fast access and easy query. An example would be a database of the rental records of all the books in all public libraries so you can find the libraries that have your book available.

Most modern websites will use databases for data storage. It can be for storing basic information such as user accounts, media such as images and videos, or more complex data structures such as hotel room availability on hotel booking sites. Database is a key component of software applications.

Explain like I'm a total nerd

A database is an organized collection of data. It is a structured collection of schemas, tables, queries, views and other objects. We use database to model real world scenarios so we can access and manipulate information programmatically.

Databases are managed by a database management system (DBMS). These systems are the interface between humans, other applications, and the database. Basic DMBS will facilitate data entry, data storage, and data retrieval. Engineers often refer to DMBS as database because of their close relationship.

Database can be generally categorized into relation and non-relational databases. Well known DMBS include PostgreSQL and MongoDB.

Explain like I'm an artist

A database is like the artefact storage room in a museum. It stores all the items a museum owns. The management team can add new items, and retrieve items from storage for display.

Explain like I like videos

Explain like I already know it

Dealing with migration on SQL databases can be a pain, that is why early stage startups tend to use noSQL databases such as MongoDB for faster product iterations and developments.

Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is a web application framework built using the programming language Ruby. It is very popular amongst early stage startups with small teams as you can create a working website very quickly.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a relational database management system for storing and managing data. It is known for its reliability, and is popular for building mission critical applications used by financial services and large internet companies.

SQL

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is a specific programming language for managing relational database management systems. With SQL, you can easily write programs to create, read, update, and delete data.

Relational Database

A relational database is a type of database structure that organizes data in tables of columns and rows. Each table represents one entity type. Relationships then can be linked between data of each table. Such as books and their authors.

Non-relational Database

A non-relational database is a type of database structure that organizes data in collections ("Books") of data entries ("Moby-dick", "War and peace"). Entries are not restricted to the attributes they can have. One book can have "year of publish" and "genre", whereas another book can have "year of publish" and "ISBN".