Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Databases

What Is a Database?

The best definitions are those that require as few words as possible. In the case of databases, the most concise definition can be broken down to one word: collection. A database is a collection of related data elements. The three basic elements of a database are as follows:

• Tables

• Columns

• Rows

Tables, also referred to as entities, represent the basic elements of information you are interested in tracking. For example, a typical business services customers, fills orders, and produces invoices. It follows, therefore, that a typical database representing a business would have customers, orders, and invoices tables.

Columns, also referred to as fields, represent the attributes of a table. Consider the customers table of a business. ...