Database Programs

Database Programs

With a database you can store, organize, and retrieve a large
collection of related information on computer. We can say it is the
electronic equivalent of a filing cabinet. Let us look at some features
and applications.
• Information is entered on a database via fields. Each field holds a
separate piece of information, and the fields are collected together
into records. For example, a record about an employee might
consist of several fields which give his or her name, address,
telephone number, age, and salary. Records are grouped together
into tables which hold large amounts of information. Tables can
easily be updated; you can always add new records or delete old
ones.

• Another feature of database programs is that you can automatically
look up and find records containing particular information. You
can also search on more than one field at a time. For example, if a
managing director wanted to know all the customers that spend
more than 800,000 rials per month, the program would search on
the name field and the money field at the same time.
A computer database is much faster to use and update than a card
index system. It occupies less space, and records can be automatically
sorted into numerical or alphabetical order using any field. Any part
of the program can be protected by user-defined passwords. For
example, if you want to share an employee’s personal details, but not
their salary, you can protect the salary field.