Introduction+to+Databases

What is a database?
A [|database] is a system for organising and storing data. Databases can be manual systems (e.g. a filing cabinet), or computerised.

Databases are made up of a number of files. Files are a collection of [|records], and records are made up of [|fields].



What is a DBMS?
[|DBMS] means database management system. A DBMS is the computer program which is used to store, modify and extract the data in a database.

Popular "off-the-shelf" DBMS include:
 * [|FileMaker Pro]
 * [|Microsoft Access]
 * [|DB2]
 * [|Oracle]

A DBMS might be bespoke. Examples might be
 * A flight reservation system
 * A patient records system
 * A computerised library system

Flat-file database
A [|flat-file database] is a database structure which consists of only a single [|table]. While this is a simple way to store files, a flat-file system becomes increasingly inefficient as more data is added.