Exploring relational databases

There are numerous types of databases—such as Object-Oriented (OO) databases, graph databases, and relational databases—each of which offers a particular capability.

OO databases are best used in conjunction with OO data. Data within these databases tends to consist of objects that contain members such as fields, functions, and properties; however, relations between objects are not well captured.

On the other hand, graph databases, as the name suggests, are best used with data consisting of nodes and edges. One of the most common applications for graph databases in the biotechnology sector is in small-molecule drug design. Molecules consist of nodes and edges that connect together in one form or another—these relations are best captured in graph databases. However, the relationships between molecules are not well captured here either.

Finally, relational databases, as the name suggests, are best used for databases in which...