But that is where the similarity ends, because a database is far more powerful.
What Can a Database Do?
If the database is relational, which most databases are, cross-references records in different tables.
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This means that you might create relationships between tables.
A database performs complex aggregate calculations across several tables.
What Is the Structure of a Database?
At its simplest,a database is made up of tablesthat contain columns and rows.
Data separates by categories into tables to avoid duplication.
Each row in a table is called arecord, and each cell is afield.
This specification is enforced by a series of rules calledconstraintsto ensure that your data is accurate and dependable.
The tables in a relational database are linked through a key.
This is an ID in each table that uniquely identifies a row.
However, different engines offer different levels of support.
Common Database Products
Microsoft Access is one of the most popular database platforms on the market today.
It’s available with some Microsoft 365 plans and is compatible with all Office products.
It features wizards and an easy-to-use interface that guides you through the development of your database.
These solutions are optimized for small-scale, single-user desktop applications.
For businesses, a large-scale, multi-user database server makes more sense.
