Database Applications

Database applications allow you to organize and manipulate large amounts of data. Databases that allow you to relate tables and databases to one another are referred to as relational databases.

A relational database is a group of tables related to one another by common fields. A table (or datasheet) looks similar to a spreadsheet. Each row in the table contains all the data for a single record. Each column in the table represents a specific data value called a field. All records have the same fields.

For example, a table of employee data might include fields for Employee ID, Last Name, First Name, Address, City, State and Zip Code. Another table for tracking timesheets might have fields for Timesheet Number, Employee ID, Week, Hours Worked, and Total Pay. The two tables are related by the Employee ID field, so the database can generate reports combining information from the two tables.