A database
is a collection of information
or data that is electronically stored in an ordered
manner.
The information is typically
stored as binary numbers ( that is: O's and 1's) on a hard disk,
floppy disk, CD-ROM, or data recording tape.
Combinations of binary numbers
(0's and 1's) can represent any kind of information.
The information is indexed, which
means that different types of information in, for example, a
document are identified and the location of the information in the
document and in the database is tracked.
Example types of
information:
Title words
Author's first, middle, and
last names
Date of
publication
Journal in which the
document was published.
Most words in the text of a
document.
Examples
An online library
catalog
Yahoo's collection of Web
pages
A guide to colleges on
CD-ROM
A commercial article database
such as Magazine Index
Analogous
Examples
An encyclopedia
A dictionary
A field guide to
birds
A cookbook
A Note on the
Mechanics of Database storage
Information that is stored is
typically represented by combinations of binary
numbers.
Each number (0's and 1's) are
usually stored as microscopic magnetic iron-oxide particles.