What is a database?
What is a database? A database is information stored in a structured/organised way so it can be easily accessed, searched, managed and updated.
A database is created and maintained using a Database Management System (DBMS), such as Microsoft Access.
Databases are used widely throughout society, you don’t have to look far to find a variety of examples.
| Libraries | Libraries rely on a database to store information about their books, members and borrowings. |
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| Schools | Almost all schools will use an Information Management System to store information about students, teachers, classes, grades and attendance etc. These require a database to function. |
| Supermarkets | Supermarkets need a database to store information about products and sales. Loyalty card schemes require a very large database of their own. |
| Websites | Dynamic and e-commerce websites use databases to store the content that is loaded into a web page when the page is requested by the user. Social networks such as Facebook rely heavily on backend databases to store and form relationships from the information its users enter. |
