Chapter 1. Database Applications and the Web

With the growth of the Web over the past decade, there has been a similar growth in services that are accessible over the Web. Many new services are web sites that are driven from data stored in databases. Examples of web database applications include news services that provide access to large data repositories, e-commerce applications such as online stores, and business-to-business (B2B) support products.

Database applications have been around for over 30 years, and many have been deployed using network technology long before the Web existed. The point-of-service systems used by bank tellers are obvious examples of early networked database applications. Terminals are installed in bank branches, and access to the bank's central database application is provided through a wide area network. These early applications were limited to organizations that could afford the specialized terminal equipment and, in some cases, to build and own the network infrastructure.