Objectives

After you read this chapter you should be able to:

• Explain what a database is and describe its basic structure
• Identify the kinds of problems that can best be solved with database software
• Describe different kinds of database software, from simple file managers to complex relational databases
• Describe database operations for storing, sorting, updating, querying, and summarizing information
• Give examples of ways in which large, easily accessible databases make our lives safer or more convenient
• Explain how databases threaten our privacy