Why This Site Exists
Most database tutorials are written for people who already know what they’re doing. They assume you know what a schema is, throw SQL at you without explaining why, and use jargon that makes simple ideas feel impossible.
SimplifyDatabase.com is my attempt to fix that. It’s for anyone who wants to understand databases from zero, in plain English: students preparing for exams, analysts and marketers who need to pull their own reports, small business owners curious about how their software works, and people moving into a tech career.
Who Writes It
I’m Abdelazim Nasr, a software developer. My day job is building and maintaining business systems, things like general ledger reporting, fixed asset management and data synchronisation jobs, using SQL Server, Delphi, Laravel and MySQL.
A lot of what I write here comes from that work: the mistakes I’ve seen (and made), the questions colleagues ask me, and the explanations that finally made things click for people. When an article says “in my experience”, it’s talking about real systems, not textbook examples.
What You’ll Find Here
- SQL fundamentals: writing queries, filtering, JOINs, GROUP BY, CASE and window functions.
- Database design: keys, normalization, constraints and data types.
- Running databases safely: indexes, transactions, backups and security.
- Database servers: MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server, and how to choose between them.
- Big data: what changes when data gets too big for one database, from data lakes and warehouses to the five Vs.
If you’re new, the Start Here page walks you through the articles in a sensible order.
How I Write and Check Articles
Every article is written to be accurate and practical. Example queries are worked through so the results shown in the text match what the database would really return, and where SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL behave differently, I say so. Database software changes, so I go back and update articles when something becomes outdated.
If you spot an error, please tell me. Corrections from readers are always welcome.
Get in Touch
Questions, topic ideas or feedback: email simplifydatabase@gmail.com or visit the Contact page.