Database Jargons are the commonly used terms in database world.

What is a Table?

Table is a collection of numerous columns and rows. In RDBMS, table is also called as Relation.

What is Column?

The fields in a table are called as Columns. Columns are also called as Attributes. Each column in a table is associated with a data type that defined values of a particular type.

What is a Row?

A row is also called as a Record of data is each individual entry that exists in a table. A row is also called as Tuple.

Graphical representation of a table

Similar to columns, every table is also given a name. You can provide any meaningful name to the above table. Since the table here stores students information, you can name above table like “Student” table or “Student Master” or “Student Information” or anything suitable.

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Data

Data is the raw facts, figures and statistics collected during any operation. It is a stored representation of objects and should give some useful meaning.

Information

Information is processed form data and increases the knowledge of person who uses the data.

The values you store in a table are data. When you ask something, the answer becomes your information.

For example, if someone’s wants to know how many Students are paying more than 50000 course fee? The information would be,

Gopal Das
Krishna Mohan
Ram Nayak

Metadata

It is the data which describes the properties or characteristics of end users data. Metadata enables the database designers and programmers to understand exactly in which form data should exist within the system. Metadata properties can include information such as:

• • Data Name
  • Definitions
  • Length or size
  • Values Allowed
  • Source of data
  • Ownership

Metadata increases the knowledge of data who is using it. For example is you exclude table header from a table, then the data would not give any meaning. Table header or each column in a table, gives more information

Below table is having no header and so it is difficult to understand what data would it be.

Below table has header and gives more information about what data it contains.

What is Database?

Database is a repository of organized collection of data such that data can be easily stored, maintained and retrieved.

Certainly, you need a software to store, access, manage and update data. This is why IT companies have developed their database software products called as DBMS (Database Management System).

What is DBMS?

A Database Management System (DBMS) is a database software designed to store, retrieve, define, and manage data. The DBMS interfaces with application programs so that the data contained in the database can be used by multiple applications and users. The DBMS allows these users to access and manipulate the data contained in the database in a convenient and effective manner. In addition the DBMS exerts centralized control of the database, prevents unauthorized users from accessing the data and ensures privacy of data.

What is RDBMS?

RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System. RDBMS store the data into collection of tables, which might be related by common fields (database table columns). RDBMS also provide relational operators to manipulate the data stored into the database tables. Most RDBMS use SQL as database query language.

Learn more about Relational Databases in this chapter.

You can learn the evolution of different database softwares and which types of databases are used in todays information age in our next article.