What is a Database?
What is a Database?
A database is an organized collection of information. Years ago, students conducting research for school projects would organize their research in a physical database, a box of index cards. The students could sort and analyze the data on the index cards by physically recording them or placing them in piles. Today, however, computer databases make searching, sorting, and analyzing much easier and faster.
Microsoft Access Terminology
Cell- The intersection of one row and one column in a table. A cell contains a single item of data.
Column- A column. consists of a collection of fields with the same name relating to different objects.
Data Type- Data type is a description of data in a field.
Field- A single item of data in a database. A field corresponds to one cell in a table.
Form- One of the views in which data in a database table can be displayed and modified. A form’s main purpose is to make data entry as easy as possible.
Primary Key- A primary key is a column used to identify the records in a table.
Query- A query is a method of retrieving data from one or more tables in a database. A query can extract specific sets of records and fields from one or more table based on criteria.
Record- A record is a collection of fields with different names relating to one object. A record occupies one row of a table.
Relationship- A relationship can be established between different tables and queries in a database by identifying columns in the tables or queries that are equivalent. A database containing related tables or queries is called a relational database.
Report- The main purpose of a report is to attractively present data extracted from a table or query. It is one of the views in which data in a database table can be displayed.
Table- A table is made up of a collection of records, or rows, organized by columns. A database can consist of multiple tables.