The Characteristics of Databases
• The purpose of a database is to help people track things of interest to them. • Data is stored in tables, which have rows and columns like a spreadsheet. A database may have multiple tables, where each table stores data about a different thing. • Each row in a table stores data about an occurrence or instance of the thing of interest. • A database stores data and relationships.
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Data in Tables

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The Key Characteristic of Databases: Related Tables

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Database Applications

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Database Applications—Forms

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Database Applications—Queries
SELECT FROM WHERE LastName, FirstName, EmailAddress STUDENT StudentNumber > 2;

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Database—Reports

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The DBMS

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The Database
• A database is a self-describing collection of integrated tables. • The tables are called integrated because they store data about the relationships between the rows of data. • A database is called self-describing because it stores a description of itself. • The self-describing data is called metadata, which is data about data.
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Typical Metadata