I want to ask a little about databases, I hope this
isn't too much off topic.

Years ago I used a DOS based PC at a video store, we
had our customers in a database (and the movies). When
someone rented a movie, it printed a little sheet on a
matrix printer.

I am very interested in what this was (or what you
believe it could have been), I mean I wasn't into
databases or programming at the time.

Secondly, I want to create such a database in jdbc in
java. Our is there something better to use?