What Is Database?

A database is a collection of related data stored in an efficient and compact manner. The word "efficient" means that stored data can be accessed very easily and quickly. Similarly, the word "compact" means that stored data takes up as little space as possible. In the above definition of database, the phrase "related data" is used. It means that a database contains data or information about a particular topic such as:

(i) Database of employees that contains data of employees of an organization or department.
(ii) Database of students that contains data of students of a college/university etc.
A database holds related data as well as description of that data. Due to this reason, a database can also define as a self-describing collection of integrated records. The description of data is known as the system catalog or data dictionary or metadata (It means data about data).

For example when a table of a database is designed, the data type, size, format and other descriptions of fields are specified. This is an example of metadata, which describes the properties of data to be stored into fields of table.

The data of any organization is its integral part. The data is very important for developing new products and their marketing. The data must be accurate and available when needed. This is the reason that all organizations must organize and manage their data into databases. The databases are used for variety of purposes in an organization.

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A database can be defined as collection of related data. Here data refers to known facts that can be recorded and that have implicit meaning. I think i should clear it with an example. Consider the names, telephone numbers and addresses of your friends, colleagues and other peoples whom you know. you may have store this data in your computer's hard drive by using any software such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access. You may have recorded this data in an address book.

This is a collection of related data with an implicit meaning and hence it is a database. This is quite general example of database. For example, we may consider the collection of words that make up this page of text to be related data and hence to constitute a database. However a common use of the term database is somewhat restricted.
A database has the following implicit properties.

* A database represents some aspects of the real world, which is called miniworld or it is also known as universe of discourse. Whenever a change occurs in this miniworld then these changes are also made in the database.
* When we design a database then we put data in database by thinking for any specific purpose.

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