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Edgar F. Codd: Architect of Relational Databases

Paul Barlow

This source profiles Edgar F. Codd, a British computer scientist who revolutionised data management. It highlights his wartime service and academic background before detailing his groundbreaking relational database model developed at IBM. The text emphasises the shift from complex hierarchical systems to Codd's elegant, logic-based approach using tables and relational algebra. Initially met with resistance, his ideas eventually gained widespread acceptance, leading to the ubiquitous use of SQL and modern database systems. The profile concludes by underscoring Codd's lasting legacy and the fundamental impact of his vision on today's data-driven world.