Programming instructions

30 Chapter 3 Database Fundamentals
Understanding database basics
Even though you do not need a thorough understanding of database management
systems to create ColdFusion applications, you must understand some basic concepts and
techniques about databases. The information in this chapter will get you started with
ColdFusion.
What is a relational database?
A relational database is a structured collection of information that is related to a
particular subject or purpose, such as an inventory database or a human resources
database. You use databases to manage information. Information, such as product name,
cost, and on-hand inventory, is stored in a database. Within the database, you organize
the data into storage containers called tables. Tab les are made up of columns and rows.
Columns represent individual fields in a table. Rows represent records of data in a table.
You can think of database tables as grids, as in the following example:
Each field in the table contains one piece of information. In an employee table, for
example, one column contains the employee name, another contains the employee phone
number, and the address, city, state, zip, and salary are all stored in their own columns.
Each record represents one set of related information. For example, an employee table
might store information about one employee per row. The number of rows in a table
represents the total number of table records.
Field (column)
Record
(row)