What is a database
Database Definition
Database is a collection of information organized to provide efficient reports. The information collected may be in different formats, such as: electronic, printed, graphic, audio, statistical or a combination of digital and printed. There are physical databases (paper/print) and electronic databases.
A database constitutes the abstract representation of a real-world problem as well as the information data about the problem in question. They are also known as databases. The database abbreviation is DB which comes from the English words «database»
Electronic databases contain related information that is grouped or structured on a computer. The central idea of a database is organization. Being very useful to protect valuable information and access it quickly and accurately.
Database management systems (SGBD) allow data to be stored and subsequently accessed quickly and in a structured way.
What is a Database for?
Databases are much more powerful than spreadsheets and are used to manipulate data and obtain information that meets simple or complicated criteria, in this way reports can be obtained that help decision making. also allows:
- Retrieve all records that meet certain criteria
- Update records at the same time
- Perform complex aggregate calculations
- Correlate information from multiple tables in a database by creating foreign key relationships between the tables.
Database Examples
A database could be as simple as the alphabetical order of names in an address book or as complex as a database that provides information on the inhabitants of a country. Let’s look at several examples:
- Phone book
- Address book
- Census Bureau data
- List of student qualifications
Structure of a Database
Traditional databases are organized by:
- fields
- Records
- Records.
A field is a single piece of information; a record is a complete system of fields; and a file is a collection of records. For example, a phone book is analogous to a file. Contains a list of records, each of which consists of three fields: name, address, and phone number.
On the other hand, just like Excel tables, database tables consist of columns and rows. Each column contains a different type of attribute, and each row corresponds to a single record.
