Records to Store Data
What is a database?
- A Database is an organised collection of data
- It allows easy storage, retrieval, and management of information
- A database is useful when working with large amounts of data, databases are stored on secondary storage
- A database is often stored on remote servers so multiple users can access it at the same time, useful for online systems
- Data can be sorted and searched efficiently, making use of more advanced structures
- They are more secure than text files
- A database uses fields and records to organise how it stores data
What are fields & records?
- A field is one piece of information relating to one person, item or object
- A field is represented in a database by a column,
- A record is a collection of fields relating to one person, item or object
- A record is represented in a database by a row
Text files
- A text file is useful when working with small amounts of data, text files are stored on secondary storage and 'read' in to a program when being used
- They are used to store information when the application is closed
- Each entry is stored on a new line or separated with a special identifier, for example a comma (',')
- It can be difficult in text files to know where a record begins and ends
Arrays
- An array is useful when working with small amounts of data, arrays are stored in main memory (RAM)
- They are used to store information when the application is in use
- Can be more efficient and much faster to search than working with text files
