Database Vocabulary

  1. And--a connector used in searching a database which indicates that for two statements/rules/criteria only records matching both should be selected
  2. Arrange--see Sort
  3. Ascending-- to arrange alphabetically--A to Z (WORDS/TEXT) or to arrange numerically--Smallest to Largest (NUMBERS)
  4. Connectors--Words like OR and AND used in searching databases which indicate whether records must satisfy one rule (OR) or if  both rules must be satisfied (AND).
  5. Data--a general term for pieces of information that a computer processes
  6. Database--a collection of data organized for search and retrieval.  (Ex: telephone book, recipe fle, file cabinet, dictionary, SIMS, CD-ROM encyclopedia, on-line databases)
  7. Descending-- to arrange alphabetically--Z to A (WORDS/TEXT) or to arrange numerically--Largest to Smallest (NUMBERS
  8. Editing--to make any change to the information in a database
  9. Enter/Entering--To type an item of information into a field in a database.
  10. Entry--each piece of information entered for each field or record
  11. Field--a category of information for which data is given in each individual record
  12. File--the entire database is also known as a database file or a collection of related records in a database
  13. Find--see Search
  14. Match--see Search
  15. Operators (words or symbols)--such as less than (<), greater than ( >), or equal to( =)
  16. Or--a connector used in searching a database which indicates that for two statements/rules/criteria records matching either one or both should be selected.
  17. Record--all of the information listed for one particular item (person, place or thing) in the database file.  (Records are made up of fields.)
  18. Report-a display (on the screen or printed on paper) of  the records or parts of records that satisfy a particular search or sort.
  19. Search--a process used to locate all records that satisfy a statement, rule, or criterion.  A compound search has 2 or more statements, rules or criteria with a connector.  This process is also called find, match, filter or query in some database software.
  20. Sort (Arrange)--an operation to rearrange the records in a database file in a specified alphabetical or numerical order. Records can be sorted in  ascending or descending order. (Ex. of keywords that indicate a need to sort: highest, lowest, largest, smallest, most, least, greatest, or fewest)
  21. Template--a pattern or form that is used repeatedly for each record in a database file (When creating a database, the template is the blank form that comes up each time you add a new record to the database.)