Here is some info to get you started with databases.
Others have pointed you to perl interfaces you can use after you setup your database.

• Install Sqlite for your platform from http://sqlite.org/
• (Recommendation) Install a free SQLITE GUI, such as the one from http://sqlitebrowser.org/
• Create a database using the schema and data below
• Query/delete to your heart's content (Sample cmd-line queries below)

SCHEMA and data:

BEGIN TRANSACTION;
CREATE TABLE `animal` (
    `id`    INTEGER UNIQUE,
    `type`    TEXT,
    `name`    TEXT,
    PRIMARY KEY(id)
);
INSERT INTO `animal` VALUES
 (1,'cat','Felix'),
 (2,'cat','Sylvester'),
 (3,'cat','Garfield'),
 (4,'lion','Simba'),
 (5,'lion','Elsa'),
 (6,'tiger','Sher Khan'),
 (7,'tiger','Woods'),
 (8,'dog','Rover');
CREATE INDEX `by-type` ON `animal` (`type` ASC);
COMMIT;

CREATE VIEW Summary AS
  Select type, count(*) 
  FROM animal
  GROUP by type;

CREATE VIEW cats_only AS
  SELECT id,name
  FROM animal
  WHERE type='cat';
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CREATE and populate database (Assuming content above is saved as animal.sql:

$sqlite3 animal.sqlite '.read animal.sql'
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Query examples from the command line:

$ sqlite3 -header -column animal.sqlite 
SQLite version 3.11.0 2016-02-15 17:29:24
Enter ".help" for usage hints.
sqlite> select * from summary;
type        count(*)  
----------  ----------
cat         3         
dog         1         
lion        2         
tiger       2         
sqlite> select * from cats_only;
id          name      
----------  ----------
1           Felix     
2           Sylvester 
3           Garfield  
sqlite> .q
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P.S. I have pointed you toward a traditional "relational" database.

Followers of current technology are proponents of "nosql" databases, such as Elastic Search.