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Database management software

Programs that are used to create databases and work with the stored data are usually called database management software (DBMS). There are various DBMS software packages. Popular programs for PCs include Microsoft Access, dBase (especially popular in the 80s and 90s), Paradox, FileMaker Pro and Base (free database software in the Open Office suite for Windows, Apple Mac and Linux).

Microsoft Access is available on all VU PCs. This program is used in different research projects in our faculty.

For storing and processing large amounts of data, however, other programs are more popular. MySQL and Oracle are two examples of programs that can be used to do this. Many online databases are stored in (a variant of) MySQL.

A new type of DBMS is nodegoat, which is a web-based data management, network analysis and visualization environment. With nodegoat, you can create and manage any number of data sets using a graphic user interface. Within nodegoat you are able to instantly analyse and visualize data sets. Nodegoat allows you to enrich data with relational, geographical and temporal attributes.

Other topics in this section: Introduction   Examples   Database design