An Example of a Database
Learn how to organize data in tables by examining a university database example that includes students, courses, departments, and instructors. Understand how records and attributes define data in a relational database and see how relationships link tables for efficient data management and retrieval.
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Before we move onto the example, we must identify the need to store data in tabular form.
One of the main reasons to store data regarding a specific object in a table is ease of understanding. So, instead of keeping relevant information regarding an object (like a student) in separate files, tables allow us to keep the important data regarding that object (like student ID, name, address, age, etc.) in one place.
A table is a collection of related data held in a table format within a database. It consists of columns and rows.
| Column_1 | Column_2 | Column_3 |
|---|---|---|
| Data_Item1 | Data_Item2 | Data_Item3 |
| Data_Item4 | Data_Item5 | Data_Item6 |
| … | … | … |
Each row in a relational database ...