what is a database?

"fm11" wrote in message
...
what is a database?


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

Contrary to some, Excel is not a database.

Tyro

"fm11" wrote in message
...
what is a database?

fm11 --

A database is a structured set of information. In Excel, it's often a table
of information. Across the top, you have headings (First name, Last name,
phone number, eye color, # of frogs owned, etc.). Then, each row below that
is a different entry, officially called a 'record'. It might be a list of
your friends, or the people in your city, etc. The important thing is that
each row (in this layout) is a different person or, in the language,
'instance'.

Usually Excel databases have the headings at the top of the rows for two
reasons: First, that's how we're used to seeing things. Second, Excel is
designed to have many times more rows than columns, so we can have bigger
tables of information.

HTH

"fm11" wrote:

what is a database?

Excel is not a database nor does Excel maintain databases. Please explain to
me the relational concepts that Excel exposes. Excel has no records. Just
rows of data. It does not maintain any kind of relationships between the
rows. You should understand that datatbase uses schemas. Excel does not.
There must be relationships between the files(s), ie. tables in database
terminology, along with schemas. Excel does not have records. Excel has
rows. Databases have tables with records and fields and schemas to reveal
the realationships between the tables. I think you are confusing
spreadsheets with databases.

Tyro
"pdberger" wrote in message
...
fm11 --

A database is a structured set of information. In Excel, it's often a
table
of information. Across the top, you have headings (First name, Last name,
phone number, eye color, # of frogs owned, etc.). Then, each row below
that
is a different entry, officially called a 'record'. It might be a list of
your friends, or the people in your city, etc. The important thing is
that
each row (in this layout) is a different person or, in the language,
'instance'.

Usually Excel databases have the headings at the top of the rows for two
reasons: First, that's how we're used to seeing things. Second, Excel is
designed to have many times more rows than columns, so we can have bigger
tables of information.

HTH

"fm11" wrote:

what is a database?

Hi fm11,

Try here for a tutorial on how to use Excel as a simple database
http://www.edferrero.com/ExcelTutori...0/Default.aspx

Ed Ferrero
www.edferrero.com

Tyro wrote <<Excel is not a database nor does Excel maintain databases. I
would beg to differ.

A database is, essentially, an ordered, structured collection of
information. The media on which it is kept may be a card index, pages in a
loose-leaf binder or a computer. The method by which it is kept on a
computer could be Access (a database manager) or Excel (which, technically,
is not a database manager). Using Excel does require a degree of manual
intervention (dependent on the complexity) to manage it but learning and
using Access for a small database may not be required. It's really down to
'horses for courses'..

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions

Not meaning to stir the pot....BUT...

Excel is to a database what a pen knife is to an axe.
You could whittle a sapling to the ground with the knife,
but you'd never call the it an axe.

In that same vein, Excel can utilize look-up tables. But a look-up table
is effectively a one table database. There ARE ways to abuse Excel into
behaving like a simple database, but it will still be sadly lacking in
the features one expects from a database: referential integrity,
cascading deletes, primary keys, etc. Also, if a formula driven
approach is used, the workbook becomes sluggish, fragile and volatile.
The reason is that formulas are always active...consuming resources with
every change in the workbook. They are also easily corrupted by the
deletion of the referenced cells. Databases effectively store "dead"
data which is only updated via queries in single pass sweeps through
the data. They are very durable against deletion/additions of rows.

Some might argue that you can implement a VBA or MS Query solution to
use Excel as a "real" database, but what's really happening is a database
engine is applied to Excel lists to treat them as tables. But, even that
approach will quickly encounter obstacles.

Basically, a database is not a spreadsheet application and a spreadsheet
is not a database. But there is a very narrow gray area where one can
behave
like a simple version of the other.

--------------------------

Regards,

Ron
Microsoft MVP (Excel)
(XL2003, Win XP)



"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...
Tyro wrote <<Excel is not a database nor does Excel maintain databases.
I would beg to differ.

A database is, essentially, an ordered, structured collection of
information. The media on which it is kept may be a card index, pages in
a loose-leaf binder or a computer. The method by which it is kept on a
computer could be Access (a database manager) or Excel (which,
technically, is not a database manager). Using Excel does require a
degree of manual intervention (dependent on the complexity) to manage it
but learning and using Access for a small database may not be required.
It's really down to 'horses for courses'..

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions