1 Relational Database Foundations Free Online FlashCards

What is a relational database?

A relational database organizes information into named tables, also called relations.

What is a table in a relational database?

A table is a named collection of data.

What are the components of a relation?

A relation is made of attributes, which are columns, and tuples, which are rows.

What does an attribute’s domain describe?

A domain is the set or kind of values that an attribute can contain.

What does one row represent in a table?

A row contains the values for one individual record in a table.

What do a table’s columns describe?

Columns describe the fields or attributes recorded in a table.

What does a table’s schema specify?

A table’s schema is its structure, including its name, column names, and column definitions.

How do a table’s schema and data differ?

The schema defines the table’s structure; the data is the set of rows currently stored in it.

What does a column’s data type specify?

A data type specifies what kind of value a column can store and how that value is interpreted.

What kind of values is `INTEGER` suited to store?

`INTEGER` is used for whole numbers, such as a count.

What kind of value does the SQL type `DATE` represent?

`DATE` represents calendar dates directly, rather than storing them as arbitrary text.

When is `DECIMAL(p, s)` a useful column type?

`DECIMAL(p, s)` stores exact decimal numbers and is useful for values such as prices.