C Database Programming

bakoo · 11-20-2006, 04:36 AM

Hey...

I need to make a Database in C... I am not to sure what the best way to do this is, it has to be in C for several reasons, mainly because its a C project, but it has to comile on Win and Lin and i am happy with making C run on both...

Anyway, i am not sure how databases in C are done. Are they done as a complete app or are they done with a text file and app or ???

I am open to help here, really need to be pointed in the right direction...

Wouldnt mind a link to a website too if there are some good how.to's

Thanks for any help

teknomage1 · 11-20-2006, 11:42 AM

Why not using an existing database? SQLite is very impressive as are mysql and postgres.

If you're set on writing one yourself, realize that modern relational databases are very complicated. In general you take over a chunk of diskspace and write a "filesystem" to store the various tables and columns. You then have to be able to read them into to memory efficiently and write them back to disk in a reliable manner as they change. You also have to have a way to communicate with the database, so you'll need some client server code. Also you probably want to conform to the SQL standard.

bakoo · 11-20-2006, 02:37 PM

Hey...

I need to create a database for a programming project at College. Its just a simple phone-book and contact detail database.

Will have no more than 100 or so records, but the aim is to create your own database and not use existing database software.

I was thinking of using just a plain text file, it doesnt need to be relational. I was not to sure if this is a common standard to use a text file, or if it is easier just to create one another way.

It has to be done in C code, and it cant use any software that isn't made.

Any help again, would be appreciated, as to i appreciate the comment above, i should have made my origional post a little more clear, cheers...

Belisarius · 11-20-2006, 04:20 PM

For lightweight databases, flat files are actually pretty common. They are frequently faster than most relational databases because the interaction is so simple.

Most common method is a CSV, or comma seperated value, file.