database

An organized collection of information, characterized by the use of data fields, it provides a foundation for procedures such as retrieving information, drawing conclusions, and making decisions. In other words, it is an electronic filing system. A database does not have to be digital; a collection of recipes written on index cards and stored in a filing box also counts as a database. Traditional, computerized databases are organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece of information; a record is a complete set of fields; and a file is a collection of records.

Hypertext is a modern concept in database design, where any object, whether it is a piece of text, an image, or some kind of sound clip, can be linked to any other object. Hypertext databases are helpful for organizing large amounts of disparate information, such as the content in large portals. To access information from a database, you need a database management system (DBMS), which is a collection of programs that enable you to enter, organize, and select data in a database.