Data Structures, Software and Databases Flashcards
Define “field”.
A group of characters (bytes) that identify a characteristic of an entity. A data value is a specific value found in a field. Fields can consist of a single character (Y,N) but usually consist of a group of characters. Each field is defined as a specific data type. Date, Text, and Number are common data types.
Define “file”.
A collection of records for one specific entity (an Invoice File, a Customer File, a Product File). In a relational database environment, files are also known as tables.
Define “operating system”.
The interface between the user and the computer hardware.
Define “record”.
A group of related fields (or attributes) that describe an individual instance of an entity (a specific invoice, a particular customer, an individual product).
Define “programming languages”.
All software is created using programming languages. They consist of sets of instructions and a syntax that determine how the instructions can be put together.
Define “application software”.
The diverse group of end-user programs that accomplish specific user objectives. Can be general purpose (word processors, spreadsheets, databases) or custom-developed for a specific application (ex.: a marketing information system for a clothing designer). May be purchased “off the shelf” or developed internally.
Define a “bit” (binary digit).
An individual zero or one; the smallest piece of information that can be represented.
Define “ systems software”.
The programs that run the computer and support system management operations.
Define “byte”.
A group of (usually) eight bits that are used to represent alphabetic and numeric characters and other symbols (3, g,X,?, etc.). Several coding systems are used to assign specific bytes to characters. ASCII and EBCIDIC are the two most commonly used coding systems. Each system defines the sequence of zeros and ones that represent each character.
