What exactly is it that I'm trying to create?
Basically, as mentioned above, a database that can store and index absolutely anything - books, CDs, buildings, restaurants, baked beans, etc. I want to create something into which I can store information about anything, and be able to retrieve, relate and search those items as easily as possible.
Why's it hard to create this database?
Since the information I want to store can potentially be anything, the indexes for each item can also be anything. So, for example, the main indexes for a book could be author, title and publisher, whereas a building could be name, location and architect; with standard database tables it wouldn't be easy to create a structure capable of storing this information, without creating a table for each type of item to be stored.
Extra problems also arise when relationships between items need to be created. For example, if a book contained information about a building, how would this association be expressed or, if categories and sub-categories existed for a subject (e.g. fiction and non-fiction for books), how could the structure of the stored data be made to represent this.
Why the blog?
There are 3 main reasons why I've chosen to create a blog on this:
1. My knowledge of some of the required subject areas is a bit limited, so hopefully there are people out there who will take the time to step in when I'm heading off in the wrong direction.
2. From my initial searches I haven't been able to find an easy way to create what I'm after - hopefully anything posted here will be of use to anyone following along the same path.
3. Finally, just documenting the steps that I take should hopefully give me a clearer view of what's been done and where I'm going. If you feel like adding anything to this journey, please do.
