Database 101

Let's answer a whole bunch of those database-related questions, and then we can get started making apps that use SQLite.

So, what is a database?

What is a database?

A database is both a place of storage and the means to retrieve, store, and manipulate data. It helps to be able to visualize a database before learning how to use it. The actual structure of the internals of a database varies greatly depending upon the database in question. SQLite actually stores all its data in a single file.

It will aid our comprehension greatly however if we visualize our data as if it were in a spreadsheet, or sometimes, multiple spreadsheets. Our database, like a spreadsheet, will be divided into multiple columns that represent different types of data, and rows that represent entries into the database.

Think about a database with names and exam scores. Take a look at this visual representation of this data for how we could imagine it in a database:

Notice, however, that there is an extra...