Data Base Task Group facts for kids
The Data Base Task Group (DBTG) was a special team that helped create important rules for how computers store and organize information. They started in 1965 as part of a bigger group called CODASYL, which worked on computer programming languages.
At first, this team was called the List Processing Task Force. In 1967, they changed their name to the DBTG. A person named William Olle from RCA led this group.
What the DBTG Did
In April 1971, the DBTG released a big report. This report included rules for two main things:
- A Data Manipulation Language (DML): This is like a set of instructions for how to add, change, or find information in a database.
- A Data Definition Language (DDL): This is like a blueprint for how to set up the database itself, defining what kind of information it will hold.
These rules were made to help standardize the network database model. This model is a way of organizing data where different pieces of information are linked together like a web. The DBTG had already shared some of their ideas in 1969.
Important Ideas from DBTG
The rules from the DBTG were updated and published again in 1973 and 1978. People often call these rules the DBTG database model or the CODASYL database model.
Besides creating a way to organize data, the DBTG also came up with many basic words and ideas that we still use in databases today. Two very important ideas they introduced were:
- Schema: Think of a schema as the overall plan or structure of an entire database. It shows how all the different parts of the data are organized.
- Subschema: A subschema is like a smaller, specific view of the database. It lets different users see only the parts of the data that are important to them, keeping other parts private.
These ideas helped shape how databases work and are still important for understanding computer information systems.