IN THIS CHAPTER:
A database (or data source as it is sometimes called) is an organized collection of information. You can use a database to organize any set of related data, such as relatives' names and addresses, customer contact data, travel expenses, rental listings, or product inventory. Data in a database is organized within tables . For example, if you were a big Indy 500 fan and you wanted to keep track of your favorite drivers and teams within a database, you might create several tables: a driver table, a team table (because an IRL team often has several drivers), and a car table (because an IRL driver often has a main car and a backup car). After you set up at least one table in your database, you enter data into it one record at a time. A record is a collection of data related to the same item. For example, in your Indy driver table, you'll find one record for each race driver. Each record is divided into different fields each field represents a different type of data such as a person's first name, last name , best start, best finish, championship points, YTD earnings, and so on. KEY TERMS Database Organized collection of data, such as employees , customers, and so on. Data Source Registered database that can be used in any OpenOffice.org component. Table A collection of related data. A database can have multiple tables. Record Data related to one item in a database, such as a single person. Field One part of a record; each field represents a different type of data such as a person's city, state, and zip code. NOTE To create and work with databases in OpenOffice.org, you must have Java JRE (Java Runtime Environment) installed. Download it from Java's Web site at www.java.com. Register its use by choosing Tools, Options, OpenOffice.org, Java from the Base menu bar. |