Basic Database Terminology Many relational database concepts are really quite simple. In fact, much of the appeal of relational databases stems from the simplicity of their foundational concepts. Structural Terminology Within the database world, MySQL is classified as a relational database management system (RDBMS). That phrase breaks down as follows:
• The database (the “DB” in RDBMS) is the repository for the information you want to store, structured in a simple, regular fashion: o The collection of data in a database is organized into tables. o Each table is organized into rows and columns. o Each row in a table is a record. o Records can contain several pieces of information; each column in a table corresponds to one of those pieces.
• The management system (the “MS”) is the software that lets you use your data by allowing you to insert, retrieve, modify, or delete records.
• The word “relational” (the “R”) indicates a particular kind of DBMS, one that is very good at relating (that is, matching up) information stored in one table to information stored in another by looking for elements common to each of them. The power of a relational DBMS lies in its capability to pull data from those tables conveniently and to join information from related tables to produce answers to questions that can’t be answered from individual tables alone.

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