Definition of Default, MS Ribbon, Primary Key, Foreign Key, One-To-Many Relationship

DEFAULT

Definition:

The term Default is used to describe a preset value for some option in a computer program. It is the value used when a setting has not been specified by the user. In computer technology, a default (noun, pronounced dee-FAWLT) is a predesigned value or setting that is used by a computer program when a value or setting is not specified by the program user.

My Own Understanding:

Default is relevant to something that is used when something else is not supplied or specified. To default is to intentionally or accidentally allow the pre-established value or setting for an item to be used by the program. The program is said to default when it uses a default value or setting.

MS RIBBON

Definition:

It is an interface where a set of toolbars are placed on tabs in a tab bar. Recent releases of some Microsoft applications have embraced this form with a modular ribbon as their main interface. The Ribbon GUI provides the user interface of an application with a large toolbar filled with graphical representations of control elements which are grouped by different functionality. The Ribbon can also contain tabs to expose different sets of control elements eliminating the need for a lot of different icon-based tool bars. Some of these tabs are contextual and appear only when a certain type of object is selected, providing specific tools for items such as tables or images.

My Own Understanding:

The Ribbon is the strip of buttons across the top of the main window. Here on the Ribbon you will find access to anything the program has to offer. You no longer have to hunt endlessly through many menus and sub menus to find the command you want. Commands are located in logical places now, unlike in earlier versions of all things Microsoft.

PRIMARY KEY

Definition:

The primary key of a relational table uniquely identifies each record in the table. It can either be a normal attribute that is guaranteed to be unique (such as Social Security Number in a table with no more than one record per person) or it can be generated by the DBMS (such as a globally unique identifier, or GUID, in Microsoft SQL Server). Primary keys may consist of a single attribute or multiple attributes in combination.

My Own Understanding:

A primary key, also called a primary keyword, is a key in a relational database that is unique for each record. It is a unique identifier, such as a driver license number, telephone number, or vehicle identification number. A relational database must always have one and only one primary key. Primary keys typically appear as columns in relational database tables.

FOREIGN KEY

Definition:

Foreign key is a referential constraint between two tables. A foreign key is a field in a relational table that matches a candidate key of another table. The foreign key can be used to cross-reference tables. The foreign key identifies a column or set of columns in one (referencing) table that refers to a column or set of columns in another (referenced) table. A foreign key is a field in a relational table that matches a candidate key of another table. The foreign key can be used to cross-reference tables. The foreign key identifies a column or set of columns in one (referencing) table that refers to a column or set of columns in another (referenced) table.

My Own Understanding:

A foreign key is a field in a relational table that matches the primary key column of another table. The foreign key can be used to cross-reference tables. A foreign key which is also called a foreign keyword, in a database table is a key from another table that refers to a specific key, usually the primary key , in the table being used.

ONE-TO-MANY RELATIONSHIP

Definition:

One-to-many relationships are the most common type of database relationship. They occur when each record in the first table corresponds to one or more records in the second table but each record in the second table corresponds to only one record in the first table. A one-to-many relationship is created if only one of the related columns is a primary key or has a unique constraint.

My Own Understanding:

In a one-to-many relationship, each row in the related to table can be related to many rows in the relating table. This allows frequently used information to be saved only once in a table and referenced many times in all other tables. In this type of relationship, a row in table A can have many matching rows in table B, but a row in table B can have only one matching row in table A.

DEFINITION OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, DATABASE AND DATA

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A database management system (DBMS), sometimes just called a database manager, is a program that lets one or more computer users create and access data in a database. The DBMS manages user requests (and requests from other programs) so that users and other programs are free from having to understand where the data is physically located on storage media and, in a multi-user system, who else may also be accessing the data. In handling user requests, the DBMS ensures the integrity of the data (that is, making sure it continues to be accessible and is consistently organized as intended) and security (making sure only those with access privileges can access the data). The most typical DBMS is a relational database management system (RDBMS). A standard user and program interface is the Structured Query Language (SQL). A newer kind of DBMS is the object-oriented database management system (ODBMS).

http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/database-management-system

A Database Management System (DBMS) is usually an inherent part of a database product. On PCs, Microsoft Access is a popular example of a single- or small-group user DBMS. Microsoft's SQL Server is an example of a DBMS that serves database requests from multiple (client) users. Other popular DBMSs (these are all RDBMSs, by the way) are IBM's DB2, Oracle's line of database management products, and Sybase's products.

http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/database-management-system

A Database Management System (DBMS) is a software package with computer programs that control the creation, maintenance, and the use of a database. It allows organizations to conveniently develop databases for various applications by database administrators (DBAs) and other specialists. A database is an integrated collection of data records, files, and other database objects. A DBMS allows different user application programs to concurrently access the same database. DBMSs may use a variety ofdatabase models, such as the relational model or object model, to conveniently describe and support applications. It typically supports query languages, which are in fact high-level programming languages, dedicated database languages that considerably simplify writing database application programs. Database languages also simplify the database organization as well as retrieving and presenting information from it. A DBMS provides facilities for controlling data access, enforcing data integrity, managing concurrency control, recovering the database after failures and restoring it from backup files, as well as maintaining database security.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_management_system

The database management system, or DBMS, is a computer software program that is designed as the means of managing all databases that are currently installed on a system hard drive or network. Different types of database management systems exist, with some of them designed for the oversight and proper control of databases that are configured for specific purposes. Here are some examples of the various incarnations of DBMS technology that are currently in use, and some of the basic elements that are part of DBMS software applications.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-dbms.htm

 A database management system (DBMS) is the software that allows a computer to perform database functions of storing, retrieving, adding, deleting and modifying data. Relational database management systems (RDBMS) implement the relational model of tables and relationships.

http://databases.about.com/od/administration/g/dbms.htmhttp://databases.about.com/od/administration/g/dbms.htm

"In my own understanding, Database Management System is a computer software that is created to manage all the installed databases on a network/system."

DATABASE

A database is a collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed, managed, and updated. In one view, databases can be classified according to types of content: bibliographic, full-text, numeric, and images.

In computing, databases are sometimes classified according to their organizational approach. The most prevalent approach is the relational database, a tabular database in which data is defined so that it can be reorganized and accessed in a number of different ways. A distributed database is one that can be dispersed or replicated among different points in a network. An object-oriented programming database is one that is congruent with the data defined in object classes and subclasses.

http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/database

A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality (for example, the availability of rooms in hotels), in a way that supports processes requiring this information (for example, finding a hotel with vacancies). The term "database" refers both to the way its users view it, and to the logical and physical materialization of its data, content, in files, computer memory, and computer data storage. This definition is very general, and is independent of the technology used. However, not every collection of data is a database; the term database implies that the data is managed to some level of quality (measured in terms of accuracy, availability, usability, and resilience) and this in turn often implies the use of a general-purpose Database management system (DBMS). A general-purpose DBMS is typically a complex software system that meets many usage requirements, and the databases that it maintains are often large and complex.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database

The definition of a database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. In order for a database to be truly functional, it must not only store large amounts of records well, but be accessed easily. In addition, new information and changes should also be fairly easy to input. In order to have a highly efficient database system, you need to incorporate a program that manages the queries and information stored on the system. This is usually referred to as DBMS or a Database Management System. Besides these features, all databases that are created should be built with high data integrity and the ability to recover data if hardware fails.

http://www.tech-faq.com/what-is-a-database.html

Databases are designed to offer an organized mechanism for storing, managing and retrieving information. They do so through the use of tables. If you’re familiar with spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, you’re probably already accustomed to storing data in tabular form. It’s not much of a stretch to make the leap from spreadsheets to databases.

http://databases.about.com/od/specificproducts/a/whatisadatabase.htm

Database refers to a collection of records or files that are stored in a logically-related format, making them easy to associate and retrieve. The most common database uses the relational database model, which consists of tables, fields and records. We look at the relational database model below.

http://www.helpwithpcs.com/jargon/database.htm

"Database is an organized collection of data or records that is stored in a computer system which is easily be accessed and managed."

DATA

The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data (plural of "datum") are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which information and then knowledge are derived. Raw data, i.e. unprocessed data, refers to a collection of numbers, characters, images or other outputs from devices that collect information to convert physical quantities into symbols.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data

Data is:

1. Information in raw or unorganized form (such as alphabets, numbers, or symbols) that refer to, or represent, conditions, ideas, or objects. Data is limitless and present everywhere in the universe.

2. Computers: Symbols or signals that are input, stored, and processed by a computer, for output as usable information.

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/data.html

In computing, data is information that has been translated into a form that is more convenient to move or process. Relative to today's computers and transmission media, data is information converted into binary digital form.

http://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/definition/data

(1) Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, a single piece of information. In practice, however, people use data as both the singular and plural form of the word.

(2) The term data is often used to distinguish binary machine-readable information from textual human-readable information. For example, some applications make a distinction between data files (files that contain binary data) and text files (files that contain ASCII data).

(3) In database management systems, data files are the files that store the database information, whereas other files, such as index files and data dictionaries, store administrative information, known as metadata.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/data.html

Data... data is raw. It simply exists and has no significance beyond its existence (in and of itself). It can exist in any form, usable or not. It does not have meaning of itself. In computer parlance, a spreadsheet generally starts out by holding data.

http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm

"Data is a single peice of information or a raw form of information such as numbers, alphabet and symbols that are needed to be processed first by a computer so that it will become a useful information."