Reviewing Database Concepts

Now that we've introduced the power of the Lightning platform and learned about the requirements of the Recruiting app that we're going to build, let's take a moment to talk about databases and why a simple understanding of database concepts can help you realize the full potential of the platform and make your app development a whole lot easier.

As you know, the underlying architecture of the platform includes a database where your data is stored. This means that all of the information you enter is stored in that database and then retrieved from the database whenever you view it within your app.

Historically, companies were required to buy, build, and maintain their own databases and IT infrastructures in order to distribute and run their applications. Cloud computing on the Lightning platform provides an alternative and makes it easy for you, as a company or as a sole developer, to build and deliver your app. Part of the simplicity of the cloud computing model is that the technical responsibilities of maintaining and running all of the database hardware and software is handled by the hosting company (in this case, Salesforce), so you can focus on developing your app.

It's worth pointing out that although your data is stored in a database and a simple understanding of database concepts is helpful, you don't need to be a database developer to build an app on the platform. We won't be doing any traditional database programming in the course of developing our app.