Why database-table-record?
Why does the world like '3 steps (3 depth)' like this?
When learning programming,
surprisingly, one keeps discovering the fact that the structure keeps dividing into 3 steps.
Ruby: Module → Class → Method
DB: Database → Table → Record
Rails MVC: Model → View → Controller
Web structure: Domain → Path → Resource
Even natural sciences are similar.
Life: DNA → Cell → Organelle
Matter: Atom → Molecule → Object
Universe: Star → Galaxy → Galaxy cluster
By this point,
the question naturally arises, "Why exactly 3 steps?"
Is it a coincidence?
Is it inevitable?
1st step is "too simple." 2nd step is "no structure." Only in the 3rd step does 'meaning' emerge.
With only the 1st step,
there is no distinction.
The world feels like one lump.
The 2nd step structure
is close to a simple dichotomy.
Since there are only two options,
depth cannot be created.
However,
the moment it becomes the 3rd step, structure finally emerges.
Large framework
Groups within it
And individual elements
This structure
is very suitable for storing,
understanding, and
expanding information.
3 is a number
"not too shallow, not too deep."
The human brain most 'intuitively' accepts the 3 steps
The space we live in is three-dimensional.
Up/down
Left/right
Front/back
Since the basic structure of the brain that perceives space is three-dimensional,
the 3-step structure is most intuitively understood.
If programming concepts are divided into 4 or 5 steps,
human working memory quickly becomes saturated.
On the other hand,
the 3-step structure
is a "unit of information that is grasped at once."
Therefore, many disciplines, tools, and systems
naturally have a depth of 3.
Programming concepts are most stable when in 3 steps
In Ruby:
Module – A collection of large concepts
Class – Concrete form
Method – Actual behavior
Beyond these 3 steps,
it becomes overly complex for the average learner.
Therefore, the language design itself
follows a "structure that is easy for people to understand."
The same goes for Databases.
Database – Large storage space
Table – Categorized drawer
Record – Actual stored value
If divided into 4 steps,
management becomes more complex
and the brain finds it difficult to perceive it as one unit.
In other words, many systems in the world
follow an "original UX that is easy for people to understand."
The universe is three-dimensional, and human thinking is also three-dimensional
Interestingly,
physicists say,
"A three-dimensional space is the minimum dimension in which life can stably exist."
If it were four-dimensional,
the laws of gravity would be broken
and it would be difficult to maintain stable orbits for planets.
If it were two-dimensional,
life would find it difficult to have complex structures.
Three dimensions
are an exquisite dimension
in which the universe can be stably maintained.
The reason why all programming concepts
are in a 3-step structure
may be because we are creating tools
that adhere to the laws of this universe.
Conclusion: A 3-depth structure is the 'maximum efficiency unit that we can understand and create'
Not too shallow
Not too deep
Intuitively graspable
Expandable
Able to understand the entire system in depth
The most ideal depth is 3-depth.
Therefore, many things in the world
instinctively follow this structure.
And since programming is a tool that expands human thinking,
it is naturally designed based on the 3-step structure
that best fits human thought.
So becoming a developer means becoming someone who handles the 3-step structure
Grasping the big concept
Creating structure within it
Handling individual elements accurately
This is the mindset of a developer.
Although the world may seem complex,
in reality, most of it is just a repetition of the 3-step structure.
Understanding this,
programming, data, and the web
suddenly begin to look simple and clear.