Using Data BASES

Imagine getting the information you need by simply entering a command or type on your.computer keyboard. Many people do this. They use data-base management systems — special software developed for record keeping — to create electronic files. Then the computer does all the work of computer does all the work of sorting through the files to retrieve specific information. Sound intriguing? This chapter will give you an idea of how and why you might put a data-base management system to work for you. You will also learn how to evaluate and select the data-base management software program that will best serve your specific needs.

Before explaining exactly what a data base management system is and how it works, let's go back to the concept of a data base. Data, as youknow, are facts or figures. A data base is a source of facts and figures a collection of related information.

You already are familiar with many data bases. Some such as baseball card collection, are ones you developed yourself. But the data bases you use most often have probably been created by others. Can you name some of these? A telephone directory is a data base. So is a dictionary and a television program guide. These collections all differ from one another in both content and format. But each is a data base simply because it is a source of information.