Every once in a while, it’s fun to revisit an old friend.
If you’ve ever learned SQL, chances are you’ve worked with the Northwind database. Microsoft introduced it in the 1990s, and decades later it’s still one of the best ways to learn relational databases and SQL queries.
We still use it today.
As the team behind DataCaster, Northwind is one of the first databases we connect to when testing new features. It gives us a familiar dataset that lets us focus on what we do best: turning database information into live, easy-to-read displays on televisions and digital signage.
There’s something satisfying about watching a database that’s taught millions of developers come to life on a big screen. Orders waiting to ship, inventory levels, top-selling products, shipping activity, and more, all displayed in real time with no custom application required.
It’s also a great demonstration. Once people see familiar Northwind data on a TV, they immediately understand what DataCaster can do with their own ERP, MES, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or other business databases.
Some tools stand the test of time. Northwind is one of them, and we’re proud that it’s still helping us build the next generation of industrial data visualization.
Thanks, Microsoft, for creating something that’s educated generations of developers and is still proving its value today.
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