Relational databases are a fundamental component of modern software development,

providing a structured and efficient means of storing and managing data. In a Java
assessment, understanding relational databases involves familiarity with concepts like
database design, SQL (Structured Query Language), JDBC (Java Database Connectivity),
and ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) frameworks. Let's explore these aspects in detail.

1. Database Design:

Database design is the process of defining the structure that will organize and store
data efficiently. It involves defining tables, relationships, constraints, and keys. Key
components include:

 Tables: Entities are represented as tables, and each table consists of rows and
columns.
 Columns: Represent attributes or fields of an entity, defining the type of data it
can hold.
 Rows: Records or instances of an entity, where each row corresponds to a unique
record in the table.
 Primary Key: A unique identifier for each row in a table, ensuring data integrity.

2. Structured Query Language (SQL):

SQL is a domain-specific language used for managing and manipulating relational

databases. Key SQL commands include:

 SELECT: Retrieves data from one or more tables.

 INSERT: Adds new records to a table.
 UPDATE: Modifies existing records in a table.
 DELETE: Removes records from a table.
 CREATE: Defines new database objects like tables or indexes.
 ALTER: Modifies the structure of an existing database object.
 JOIN: Combines rows from two or more tables based on a related column.

Example:

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-- Creating a table CREATE TABLE Users ( UserID INT PRIMARY KEY, UserName VARCHAR ( 50 ), Email
VARCHAR ( 100 ) ); -- Inserting data INSERT INTO Users (UserID, UserName, Email) VALUES ( 1 ,
'JohnDoe' , 'john@example.com' ); -- Querying data SELECT * FROM Users WHERE UserID = 1 ;
3. Java Database Connectivity (JDBC):

JDBC is a Java-based API that enables Java applications to interact with relational
databases. Key JDBC concepts include:

 Connection: Establishes a connection to the database.

 Statement: Executes SQL queries or updates the database.
 ResultSet: Represents the result of a query and provides methods for retrieving
data.

Example:

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import java.sql.Connection; import java.sql.DriverManager; import java.sql.PreparedStatement; import
java.sql.ResultSet; import java.sql.SQLException; public class JDBCTutorial { public static void
main(String[] args) { try ( Connection connection =
DriverManager.getConnection( "jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/mydatabase" , "username" , "password" )) { String
query = "SELECT * FROM Users WHERE UserID = ?" ; try ( PreparedStatement preparedStatement =
connection.prepareStatement(query)) { preparedStatement.setInt( 1 , 1 ); try ( ResultSet resultSet =
preparedStatement.executeQuery()) { while (resultSet.next()) { int userId = resultSet.getInt( "UserID" ); String
userName = resultSet.getString( "UserName" ); String email = resultSet.getString( "Email" );
System.out.println( "User ID: " + userId + ", UserName: " + userName + ", Email: " + email); } } } } catch
(SQLException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } }

4. Object-Relational Mapping (ORM):

ORM frameworks like Hibernate or JPA (Java Persistence API) simplify database
interactions by mapping Java objects to database tables. Key concepts include:

 Entities: Java classes representing database tables.

 Annotations: Metadata added to Java classes to define their mapping to
database tables.

Example (using Hibernate):

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@Entity @Table(name = "Users") public class User { @Id @GeneratedValue(strategy =
GenerationType.IDENTITY) @Column(name = "UserID") private int userId; @Column(name = "UserName")
private String userName; @Column(name = "Email") private String email; // Getters and setters }