Add FAQ page

Author: kabilar

docs/src/faq.md

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+# Frequently Asked Questions
+
+## How do I use DataJoint with a GUI?
+
+1. The DataJoint Works platform is set up as a fully managed service to host and execute data pipelines.
+
+2. [LabBook](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-labbook) is an open source project
+for data entry.
+
+## Does DataJoint support other programming languages?
+
+DataJoint [Python](https://datajoint.com/docs/core/datajoint-python/) and [Matlab]
+(https://datajoint.com/docs/core/datajoint-matlab/) APIs are both actively supported.
+Previous projects implemented some DataJoint features in
+[Julia](https://github.com/BrainCOGS/neuronex_workshop_2018/tree/julia/julia) and
+[Rust](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-core). DataJoint's data model and data
+representation are largely language independent, which means that any language with a
+DataJoint client can work with a data pipeline defined in any other language. DataJoint
+clients for other programming languages will be implemented based on demand. All
+languages must comply to the same data model and computation approach as defined in
+[DataJoint: a simpler relational data model](https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.11104).
+
+## Can I use DataJoint with my current database?
+
+Researchers use many different tools to keep records, from simple formalized file
+heirarchies to complete software packages for colony management and standard file types
+like NWB. Existing projects have built interfaces with many such tools, such as
+[PyRAT](https://github.com/SFB1089/adamacs/blob/main/notebooks/03_pyrat_insert.ipynb).
+The only requirement for interface is that tool has an open API. Contact
+[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) with inquiries. The DataJoint
+team will consider development requests based on community demand.
+
+## Is DataJoint an ORM?
+
+Programmers are familiar with object-relational mappings (ORM) in various programming
+languages. Python in particular has several popular ORMs such as
+[SQLAlchemy](https://www.sqlalchemy.org/) and [Django ORM](https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/django_orm/).
+The purpose of ORMs is to allow representations and manipulations of objects from the
+host programming language as data in a relational database. ORMs allow making objects
+persistent between program executions by creating a bridge (i.e., mapping) between the
+object model used by the host language and the relational model allowed by the database.
+The result is always a compromise, usually toward the object model. ORMs usually forgo
+key concepts, features, and capabilities of the relational model for the sake of
+convenient programming constructs in the language.
+
+In contrast, DataJoint implements a data model that is a refinement of the relational
+data model without compromising its core principles of data representation and queries.
+DataJoint supports data integrity (entity integrity, referential integrity, and group
+integrity) and provides a fully capable relational query language. DataJoint remains
+absolutely data-centric, with the primary focus on the structure and integrity of the
+data pipeline. Other ORMs are more application-centric, primarily focusing on the
+application design while the database plays a secondary role supporting the application
+with object persistence and sharing.
+
+## What is the difference between DataJoint and Alyx?
+
+[Alyx](https://github.com/cortex-lab/alyx) is an experiment management database
+application developed in Kenneth Harris' lab at UCL.
+
+Alyx is an application with a fixed pipeline design with a nice graphical user
+interface. In contrast, DataJoint is a general-purpose library for designing and
+building data processing pipelines.
+
+Alyx is geared towards ease of data entry and tracking for a specific workflow
+(e.g. mouse colony information and some pre-specified experiments) and data types.
+DataJoint could be used as a more general purposes tool to design, implement, and
+execute processing on such workflows/pipelines from scratch, and DataJoint focuses on
+flexibility, data integrity, and ease of data analysis. The purposes are partly
+overlapping and complementary. The
+[International Brain Lab project](https://internationalbrainlab.com) is developing a
+bridge from Alyx to DataJoint, hosted as an
+[open-source project](https://github.com/datajoint-company/ibl-pipeline). It
+implements a DataJoint schema that replicates the major features of the Alyx
+application and a synchronization script from an existing Alyx database to its
+DataJoint counterpart.