Database connection: Difference between revisions

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In [[computer science]], a '''database connection''' is the means by which a [[database server]] and its [[Client (computing)|client]] software communicate with each other. The term is used whether or not the client and the server are on different machines.

The client uses a database connection to send [[commandCommand (computing)|commands]] to and receive replies from the server. A database is stored as a file or a set of files on magnetic disk or tape, optical disk, or some other secondary storage device. The information in these files may be broken down into records, each of which consists of one or more fields.

Fields are the basic units of data storage, and each field typically contains information pertaining to one aspect or attribute of the entity described by the database. Records are also organized into tables that include information about relationships between its various fields. Although database is applied loosely to any collection of information in computer files, a database in the strict sense provides cross-referencing capabilities.