Databases

A database is a persistent store of organised data.

There are two types of database: A flat file and a relational database

A flat file database is held as a table and stored in a single file, the data is structured by records and fields. They are simple but less efficient and are prone to data redundancy which is where data is repeated or inconsistent.

A relational database uses multiple tables to increase efficiency and prevent data redundancy. It is easier to maintain as things only have to be changed in one place so is less time consuming and quicker instead of changing things individually.