Understanding Databases

How do I organize this information so that I can readily see what I have in my collection of baseball cards and also, at a glance, be able to know the value of my cards (collectively, and individually)? Creating a database could be your answer! STOP trying to keep hundreds of thousands of pieces of raw date on scrap paper, index cards, columnar tablets, and file folders stored in file cabinets. Be efficient and create a database.

So, what is a database? A database is a collection of related data stored together in an electronic file that will enable one to quickly retrieve information. Computer-based databases have reduced data storage requirements and improved the efficiency of data retrieval. As a result, raw data from educational institutions, historians, federal and state government agencies, and many other people and organizations, can be reported very quickly and more importantly, amazingly accurate.

Modern database programs, such as Access 2003, work more efficiently to store data. These database management systems (DBMS) organize data by separating fields that remain the same--name of player, year of card, name of team, and league from fields that vary from order to order--date of order, item ordered, item description, number ordered, and unit price. By storing data separately, the information becomes easier to update and maintain, and order processing becomes more efficient.

Access 2003 is a powerful object-oriented electronic database program that functions in the Windows environment and uses different types of objects to input, store, process, and output processed data. Access databases contain a number of different objects--tables, queries, forms, and reports--that you create and save individually within each database file.

Write down all your information (raw data) and soon it will become data that is easy to input, retrieve, view, and understand.

Terms|Parts |Creating a Database| Creating a Table|Creating a Report |
Creating a Query | Woodbridge Campus Homepage |

Last Update April 25, 2005
© Diane D. Mickey, 2005
email:  dmickey@nvcc.edu