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Unit-3 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING LIBREOFFICE BASE
8 INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
It is often said, “Information is power.” The concept of databases has evolved since the 1960s to address
various challenges in designing, building, and maintaining complex information systems manually. Earlier, all
types of information, such as employee details, stock details, or payment details, were maintained in physical
files. Nowadays, computerised systems use database programs such as Microsoft Access, LibreOffice Base,
OpenOffice Base, and MySQL to organise data according to official needs.
These database programs offer numerous advantages over manual data management methods. They provide
efficient data storage, retrieval, and manipulation capabilities, ensuring data integrity and security.
DATABASE
A database is defined as an organised collection of data that can be visualised as a container of information.
It allows for the storage, modification, and retrieval of data efficiently. The data within a database is processed
and interpreted to support various processes that require this information.
According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), data means the
Data representation of facts, concepts or instructions in a formalised manner which is
suitable for interpretation or processing by human or by automatic means.
It is a meaningful and useful form obtained after processing the data. Hence, it can
Information
be defined as a set of organised data.
It is the act of understanding the context in which the data has been produced or the
Knowledge
information has been used. It can be based on learning through information.
In the beginning, a lot of problems occurred in gathering, organising, retrieving, storing, and securing the
data. Hence, there was a need for proper storage of data and to handle and manage the data in an efficient
manner. This need led to the maintenance and collection of related and ordered data in such a way that
the information gathered from it could be accessed quickly and easily. Such assembled data resulted in an
organised ‘database’. A database is a collection of logically related data that allows easy and efficient storage,
retrieval and manipulation of data.
The main difference between modern databases and the conventional method of storing the data (i.e., old
paper based data) lies in the ability to retrieve and manipulate data. Database constitutes the most important
component of information system. Data is the basic source of an information. Owing to the rapid growth of
IT. In the last few decades, organisations and institutions have realised the value of database, as a resource
and the importance of managing and manipulating this resource effectively.
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