Relational Databases

Table

A collection of data organised into records and fields within a relational database. A table represents a real-world entity

Queries

A feature of a DBMS that allows the database to be interrogated. It selects records from the database based on specified criteria.

Primary key

A field in a table that uniquely identifies a record

Foreign Key

A field in one table that is the primary key in another table and is used to create a relationship between those two tables

Relational Database

A persistent organised store of data where data is stored as a collection of related tables to minimize data redundancy

Flat file database

A persistent organised store of data where data is stored in a single file and organised into fields and records

Entity

A real world object, about which data is stored in a database, corresponds to a table in the relational database

Form

An interactive window used for data entry. usually includes validation routines

Reports

Data from a database that has been processed and presented on a page in a way that makes it information. Designed for hardcopy

Record

Data stored about one instance of an entity ie: one particular person or object

Logical operator

NOT, AND, OR. used in complex criteria queries

Field

One Specific data item being stored such as a surname or shoe size

Modules

Sections of code within a DBMS that allow to user interface to be tailored

Relationship

The logical connection created between two tables using a primary and foreign key pair

Validation

When the computer software checks that the data is sensible

Verification

Where data is entered twice and checked that each version is the same, to avoid data being entered with typing mistakes