Chapter 1. Data Storage Alternatives
There are many ways a program can store and retrieve data. It can store values in the system registry, in comma-separated value (CSV) files, INI files, XML files, object databases, and relational databases.
When most developers think of databases, they think of relational databases such as Access, SQL Server, Oracle, and Informix. The other techniques mentioned in the previous paragraph are useful under some circumstances, however, and so I describe each of them in this chapter. Before you start using a relational database, you should be certain you need one. There’s no point in using a database system when a simpler solution will work. In cases where you don’t need the full power and flexibility of a relational ...
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