DATABASE

What is Database?
A database is an organised collection of data such that its contents can be easily accessed, managed and updated under the control of a single entity e.g. WAEC database etc.

Types of Database Structure
A Flat file database
It consists of only a file not a collection of files. It is like a cabinet containing only one folder which has many pages in it.
A flat file suffers a great problem of data redundancy because it can not share data with other files. Suppose in student registration, the filed like like Name, Reg-No, Class, and department are needed in a flat file of your HOD and the same Name, Reg-No.. and department are needed in office of the Rector. This implies that two files each with Name, Reg-No and department are needed. This is unnecessary in relational database since it has has features to share data, which eliminate the existence of unnecessary data,

Rational database. This is a type of database that is tabulated into rows and columns so that it can be reorganized and accessed in  a number of different ways.

A distributed database is one that can be replicated among different points in a network.
An object oriented database is one that is matching with the data defined in object classes and subclass.

Hierarchical data base structure: The hierarchical data structure presents data to users in a tree like structure.
Here within each record, data elements ( fields) are organized into pieces of records called segments.

To the user each record looks like an organization chart with one top record called the root. An upper segment is connected logically to a lower segment in a parent-child but a child can have only one parents.

DBMS
what is DBMS
database management system. Its a collections of programs or software that facilitates the process of defining, construction, manipulating and sharing of data base among various users or applications programs.

DEFINING
in the aspect means to define the data types of the various fields in the database, such as name has data type of text, age has data type number, school fees paid has data type yes/no, remark has data type memo.
CONSTRUCTING
Constructing means ability of the software to store data.

MANIPULATING OF DATA
would mean querying, updating or modifying of data.

SHARING
sharing mean using the database among different end users

DATABASE SYSTEM
is a computer based system that keeps and manages information.
A database system involves four components:-

DATA
Software
Hardware and
Users
That means, for a school or organisations to have a database the above components are required.

DATA
This category does not refer to input or output data. We mean the operational data. The operational data can be one or more database search database is a storehouse or storage of the data.
The database is integrated and shared. So the database in this aspect is a union of several different data files. The individual information or data c-can be shared among several different users so data redundancy is eliminated. why is this sharing possible?

SOFTWARE: The bale software component of a database system is Database Management System (DBMS). It is like a mediatory standing between the database and users of the computer. Access request from users are handled by DBMS.  DBMS does it by interpreting the request using data manipulation language (DML) and inspects it.

HARDWARE: The hardware here is secondary storage medium with a very large size of disks.

users
we have three types of database users:
An application programmer, writes programs that user database of which DBMS facilitates the programmers by providing performed functions.
A Database Administrator (DBA) is a person with high degree of technical expertise that controls and manages operational data centrally.

An End User: An end user may use a query language to access data or may user a user-written program to access data of the database.